


From Dust

by birdybirdnerd, laureniscoolcool



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Fluff, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, IronStrange, M/M, Multi, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Roleplay, Smut, and its getting longer by the day, bullshit with the stones, eventual stonystrange, god this thing also got so fucking long, is almost 300 goddamn pages, like right after, like the doc as of right now me posting this first chapter, now with bonus stonystrange! bc we say so, so im not gonna tag it till it happens, this got way out of hand, this has. a Lot of sex in it ngl, though thats more towards the end tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-05-23 04:33:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 67,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14927213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdybirdnerd/pseuds/birdybirdnerd, https://archiveofourown.org/users/laureniscoolcool/pseuds/laureniscoolcool
Summary: After the war, after it all, Tony finds a way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> just an ironstrange rp that got way the fuck out of hand. its still ongoing, so ill update with the fuckton of chapters i already have settled and then will update as we go along and conclude different sections
> 
> also be warned that theres not really one coherent overarching plot, but rather a bunch of smaller pieces we start and end up connecting to one another. theyre all chronological tho
> 
> also also i just kept it in the original format bc im lazy, so there will be some switching between past and present tense on accident, my bad. laureniscoolcool played tony, and i played thor here (and stephen when he finally shows up later lmao)). the others can probs be assumed by who else theyre written with
> 
> enjoy!!!!!!!!
> 
> EDIT: god i cant believe i forgot to say but this takes place in an au where nebula wasnt on titan with tony, and where he and pepper arent together. theyre still bffs, and i think we decided they used to date? but realized theyre better as friends
> 
> DOUBLE EDIT: hey whats up forgot to mention but yall probs figured it out, this is also an au where tony still has the arc reactor aksdfhasd cant believe i forgot that important info

The ground shook with the force of the Bifrost as it deposited Thor at his destination. He shielded his eyes with the hand not holding Stormbreaker, scanning the broken horizon of Titan for a sign of life. Not finding it, he flew up into the air, swinging his axe and shooting across the surface to the nearest ruins. 

He had been searching for days after the battle for his friends, the ones who had left Midgard before Thanos showed up, with no luck. The man of iron and the young spider boy had disappeared with the first of Thanos's ships, or so he heard, and Pepper was the last who had heard from them. She was worried sick for her friend and the young boy, and so Thor had taken it upon himself to search for them. 

His instinct led him to Titan, but not much farther. He felt he would have to search the entire face of the war-scarred planet before he found them, but he would do it. 

Though, he tried not to think, they might not be there any more. He might be chasing nothing but dust. 

* * *

Tony hadn’t moved. He hadn’t had a coherent thought since it happened. He couldn’t even remember how long it had been. He was just staring down at the dust in his hands, the bits of Peter that hadn’t blown away and were still stuck to his hands.

“Mr. Stark...” echoed through his head. He was faintly aware some time had passed, but the minutes had bled together into hours, and hours into days, as he relieved Peter begging for his life, and Strange telling him it was the only way. 

Not even his growling stomach or Friday from whatever was left of his nanotech trying to break his stupor helped. Though, to be fair, the AI had given up a while ago.

* * *

Thor slowed and surveyed the ruins beneath him. The part of the city he was flying over now looked more derelict than the rest of the planet, the destruction looking more recent. In fact, there were still some embers smoldering in places, evidence of a recent battle.

_They must be close_ , he thought, touching down. 

He rounded a corner, axe at the ready, and saw someone crouched in the distance in the middle of what looked like a war zone. Nearing, he took a guess at their identity and called out "Tony? Is that you?" 

* * *

Tony didn’t even move. He heard Thor, but it was the sort of hearing that takes place when you’re underwater and drowning and someone shouts at you from ten feet away. It was so distorted and distant that it didn’t reach Tony.

His fingers twitched as more wind blew more dust from his hands. There was barely any left. Peter was slipping away.

* * *

He approached the man slowly, noticing how bad shape he was in, worried something was going on that he couldn't see. "Tony?"

As he got closer, he noticed he was staring at his hands. No one else was around. "Tony? Where are the others? Are you alright?" 

* * *

Tony heard Thor’s voice, but didn’t register it as anything but his own mind mocking him. As the wind blew away the last of the dust that was once Peter Parker, Tony’s body became too tired and he slumped forward a bit.

He was stuck in his head still, and a small, broken, and dry sob escaped his lips. He was far too dehydrated to actually cry.

* * *

"Friend Tony, it has been days, have you been here this whole time?" Lowering his axe, Thor reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder. "You look terrible, man. What happened?"

* * *

Immediately, Tony was up and he punched Thor across the face as hard as he could, assisted by whatever nanotech was left. His body wasn’t quite ready for that, so he crumpled immediately.

Tony Stark had his tired days, but the bags under his eyes were massive, and he looked almost skeletal. 

“...Thor...?” he croaked, his voice dry and weak.

* * *

Thor stumbled at the sudden assault, the flash of anger at the attack passing quickly as he watched Tony fall. Concern washed over him as he fell to his knees in front of the man, dropping his axe and holding his hands out to steady Tony, but hesitating before touching him again.

"Tony, it is me, everything is alright. I won't hurt you." He made his voice as soothing as possible, talking in a low voice so as not to startle him again. This whole situation was very worrisome, considering the fact that _no one else was here_.

"Tony, I need you to answer me," he said, still trying to act calm around the obviously-hurt man. "Where is that boy? Peter, was his name? I know you did not come here alone, where did he go?" He feared the answer, but he needed to know what had happened on this desecrated planet.

* * *

“He’s gone, Thor... he...” Tony tried to explain but his throat was hurting him, and he ended up making hand gestures that conveyed dust floating away.

He spaced out for a moment again as he had another flashback before he suddenly launched into a coughing fit. His throat was not happy about being used.

* * *

Ice dripped down Thor's spine at the implication. He had watched so many crumble away that day, it never occurred to him just _how many_  had been taken by that fateful snap of the fingers.

He shook his head, dispersing the images that tried to form, the horror that threatened to swallow him whole. Too much had happened in too short a span of time, but there was still much to be done. And if Tony wasn't helped soon, he would be following his young charge to Valhalla. 

"Come, Stark, we need to get you home before you perish as well." He held out his hands in a gesture to help Tony to his feet, but waited for him to respond, rather than set him off again.

* * *

Tony shook his head and tried to speak again. He wasn’t used to not having his voice. He reached toward a small pile of dust.

‘I did this,’ he mouthed. ‘Peter was here because of me.’ He clearly was being eaten up by his guilt. To him, Peter’s death was on his hands.

* * *

Thor's eyes locked on the dust and he swallowed down a lump in his throat. "There's nothing we can do, we must go," he said softly. "Those of us left are on Earth, and they need us. There is nothing left for you here. I am truly sorry."

* * *

Tony then forced his throat to let him speak: “What is left for me on Earth?” He started coughing, but he pressed on. “I ruined the Avengers—“ He coughed. “—and for all I know, Pepper is dead.”

Tony stood, again too quickly, but he collapsed forward this time so he was leaning onto Thor for support, his body shaking violently as he coughed.

* * *

Thor braced himself to catch Tony, bearing the man's weight with ease. Holding him up as the coughing fit overcame him, he waited for the worst of it to pass before speaking up again.

"There is much left for you yet, especially in the face of what just happened." He rubbed Tony's back soothingly, and shifted until he was supporting enough of his weight to move. "But either way, we must go. I am not sure the atmosphere of this planet will remain stable for much longer, and you are needed, in whatever way, back on Earth." 

As he called Stormbreaker back to his hand, he added "And do not fear, for Miss Potts remains with us. She has worried greatly for your safety since you disappeared, as have the rest of us.

* * *

“You know, Point Break, I think I’m... I’m just gonna take a nap,” Tony stated as he was suddenly overcome with dizziness. He passed out almost immediately after, his body finally giving out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an appearance from our boy steve

_ it was dark, so dark, everything was dark and it hurt, felt like being pulled apart at the seams and shoved back together before being pulled apart in a different, far more agonizing way, the process repeating in infinite loops, infinite variables until there was nothing he could do but scream with vocal chords that never existed into a void that never cared. _

_ the pain abated for a moment, as it always did before screaming back, and he panted and sobbed and struggled to find a sense of self, a sense of existence. who was he? nothing seemed to exist here in this not-space, full of pain and suffering and yet nothing at all, but he felt like he should have a being, should have a name. _

_ he used to have a name, he remembered before the terror and the howling set back in, consuming him again in the tar-like darkness of the plane that didn't exist. he used to have a name, and though he couldn't remember it, though he couldn't remember himself, he remembered it used to be his. it used to be odd. it sounded almost... strange. _

_ but all the memories he'd been tenuously grasping at faded again, and he was forced again to clawing, crawling towards an existence he couldn't remember. _

* * *

Tony opened his eyes, but Thor was gone and he was... still on Titan? Though he was healthy. Maybe the whole rescue was a dream. He looked around and saw something different, though. A cliff.

He walked toward it to investigate. It dropped into nothingness, blackness. A gust came from the darkness, and it was pure cold. He reached his hand out, but was stopped by an invisible barrier.

* * *

_he was crying, screaming, curled tight to keep the darkness at bay as it pressed down on all sides, shredding his mind, shredding his hope and crushing his senses. everything hurt so much, he felt it all slipping away, the release of letting go and letting it consume him so tempting, but something was holding him back, tethering him to the world he didn't remember._

_and suddenly, it's gone. with a rush of cold air he didn't know he could still feel, the oppressive darkness abates, pulling away and hovering at the edge of his consciousness. it's still there, still waiting for a slip of the mind to crash back in and drag him under, but for a moment, light shines down on him._

Stephen Strange gasps as he feels the light, and looks up. For the first time in what feels like an eternity, he _remembers._

* * *

Tony spotted him. He had to squint, but before he knew it, he was banging on the invisible barrier. “Strange! Strange, can you hear me?! Where are you?!”

He felt something tugging him back to reality. It didn’t take him long to figure out that he had passed out on Titan, and they were trying to wake him up. Everything felt so real, though... less like a dream, and more like a vision. 

“Stephen! Can you answer me?!”

* * *

Stephen had started to look back down, but his head shot back up at the familiar voice.

"S... Stark?" he mumbled, before his heart kicked back into gear. "Tony! What are you doing here?!" He tried flying up towards where he could see him at the edge of the precipice he was in, but nothing happened. His cape wasn't with him, and when he tried activating his magic, he realized he was cut off from everything. 

"Tony, I can't-" he shouted, but the twisting darkness at the edge of his vision twitched, and he only had a moment's warning before it was descending upon him again.

* * *

“Stephen, they’re waking me up, I can’t— I’ll try to come back, I promise,” Tony shouted as Titan seemed to shrink around him. There was a feeling, like hands grabbing him and pulling him and he tried to hold on—

“Stop!” he shouted as he sat up quickly in the med bay of the Avengers facility in upstate New York. He was breathing heavily and sweating, and something told him he had been shouting in his sleep again.

* * *

Steve Rogers, who had been dozing quietly in one of the chairs next to the bed, shot to his feet. His new shield was out and ready in an instant, but when nothing dangerous greeted him, he shook himself off and lowered it.

"Tony, everything's okay," he said calmly. "You're safe, you're back on Earth, there's no immediate danger. It's okay."

* * *

“Steve?” Tony muttered. He seemed fairly dazed and confused, and as he looked around he realized he had been hooked up to several IVs. His skin looked more healthy, so he had probably been out for a few days. He finally made eye contact with the supersoldier.

“...Hi,” he said, really unsure of how to interact with the man, especially since the last time they saw each other was when Tony’s mistakes tore the Avengers apart.

* * *

Settling back in his chair, Steve watched as Tony took stock of his surroundings. He felt himself trying to be mad, trying to summon up some sort of anger at the man for what he had done to tear their team apart, but in the wake of what they had been through not too long ago, he just felt tired.

"Hey," he responded, breaking eye contact. "It's late, just so you know, and the others are out. They should be back soon, but..." 

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyways. Glad you're okay. Worried for a second there, 'till Thor got back from space with you." He picked at a scab on his finger as he studiously avoided any and all eye contact. "At least you made it back." 

_Unlike the others_  remained unspoken.

* * *

“You might as well say what I know you’re thinking. He should’ve left me on that planet,” Tony muttered, launching right into the self-hate. He then began pulling out all of his IVs.

“Look, Steve, I’ve been a shitty person these last few years. Or these last few _forevers._ If I were you, I’d wish I had turned to dust instead of the others,” he continued. His mouth was running at this point, and he couldn’t stop it as he yanked out vital IVs. 

_What drugs did they put me on?_ he wondered. _I’ll have to write it down_.

* * *

Steve leapt into action, grabbing at Tony's hands and stopping him before he could do any serious damage to himself. "Tony- Tony, stop!" he demanded, anger fueling him and making his words sound a bit louder than intended. "Don't be ridiculous!"

Firmly shoving Tony back down, he slammed the call button on the side of the bed. "You look: yes, you've been shitty these past few years. You've done some unforgivable things, and we would've all been better off if you _hadn't_  done those things, but at this point? There's not enough of us left for me to care." 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We need to stick together, Tony. And I'll start by apologizing for running off. Now- I'm not apologizing for _why_  I ran off. I still don't agree with what you did. But I feel that we might have stood a better chance against Thanos if we hadn't been spread across the world when he attacked.

* * *

Tony blinked in confusion. He wasn’t exactly used to being manhandled like that, even if it was for his own good.

“Look, Steve, you’re right. And...” he cleared his throat awkwardly. Here came the part he was no good at, pain medications or no. “I’m sorry.” He never was good at apologizing - a trait he had regrettably obtained from Howard - but he’d be damned if he didn’t at least try to get Steve to understand. 

Though the drugs were definitely driving this conversation for him.

* * *

Shaking his head almost fondly at how much effort the apology took, Steve sighed again. "Thank you."

An invisible weight lifted off of his chest as he sat back down, letting the nurse who bustled in do her work to reattach the IVs Tony had ripped out. 

As soon as she left, Steve cleared his throat again. "So, Thor didn't really give us the full story on what happened to you out there. I don't think he knew, to be honest, and you weren't much in the mood for talking when he found you, he said." Realizing that might be a sensitive topic, he added "Feel free to tell me to shut up if it's still too soon."

* * *

Before Steve could even finish a sentence, Tony’s eyes were locked in on a random spot on the wall across from him. All of the events on Titan flashed through his head, then Stephen Strange, trapped in the darkness.

He seemed to return, and shook off his momentary lapse. “Everyone else is gone.” His words are clipped and forced, not wanting to talk about it but also not wanting to tell Steve to shut up.

* * *

Steve watched the emotions flash across Tony's eyes before they closed off. His heart dropped, but it was to be expected. "I'm sorry. We all lost a lot that day, too much. Bucky..."

He trailed off, suddenly choked up, but took a breath to calm himself and changed courses instead. "Either way, we're still here, and the sun still shines. It shines a little dimmer, but we need to work to fix some of the damage and rebuild what we can. We can do this, Tony. We'll be okay, eventually." 

He stood, setting a hand on the edge of the bed. "You get some more sleep. You lost a lot of nutrients while stranded in space, and if we're gonna be rebuilding the Earth, we're gonna need everyone in tip-top shape. I'm gonna go get some coffee, but I'll be back." 

Heading through the door, he threw one last "Goodnight, Tony," over his shoulder before disappearing down the hallway.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony fell asleep after a little while, and found himself back on Titan, and he ran to the edge of the void. “Stephen? Are you there?”

* * *

The darkness this time seemed a little less crushing, a little less consuming than it had before, but it was still near too much to bear. Only this time, Stephen retained his memories as he fought at it. He struggled to do so, but the taste of his returned existence was a good enough motivator to fight on, and the knowledge that there _was_  something to fight for filled him with renewed energy.

That said, by the time that warm light returned to banish away the darkness again, Stephen was losing hope. Time didn't exist in this in-between state he found himself in, so what felt like hours could very well have been years, as easily as it could've been seconds.

The darkness hissed as it slunk back again, leaving Stephen on his knees with that warm light gracing his face again. It took him less time this time to recognize it, and he looked up eagerly.

"Stark!" he shouted. "I'm here, can you hear me?"

* * *

“Strange, I’m here. Where are you? What is going on?” Tony asked. He tried in vain to push through the barrier.

“I’m gonna try to get you out,” he promised.

* * *

Stephen rose, eyes still trained on the bright spot far above him, where he could sort of see his friend struggling to get through to him to no avail.

"Where are we?" he called up, forcing his fuzzy mind to stay on guard as he watched the darkness around him for any sign of aggression. He clenched his fists, trying to summon up some sort of defense, but gasped as a bit of pain shot through his hands. He looked at them, as ruined and useless as they were before.

"I don't- I don't remember much of what happened. Why are you way up there, and why can't I access my magic?" he asked. Panic fluttered at the edge of his consciousness but he forced it down.

* * *

“Thanos got you. You turned to dust. I don’t know where we are or why we’re here, but I’m asleep to be here and I can’t be here forever,” Tony explained as best as he could, practically shouting so Stephen could hear him. “I don’t know if this is even anything more than a dream.” The last bit was more of an afterthought.

* * *

With a shudder, the memories of his final day resurfaced. Stephen felt like his skin was itching, flaking off, but he knew it was just a phantom memory.

"Well I sincerely hope this is more than a dream," he muttered, rubbing at his arm. "Is there any way for you to get down here?" he called. "Like a rope or something? I can't fly, but I feel like we might be able to figure things out if we didn't have to shout the whole time."

He paced in the tight space, trying to think. If this truly was some sort of special in-between world, he should be able to cast his form wherever he wanted.

But as he had the thought, the only blackness surrounding him let out what sound almost like a growl and died minutely closer. His breath caught in his throat, and he stopped pacing.

"Tony, I have a plan; well, sort of. We don't have much time or many options, but it's the best I can think of right now and I'm desperate to try something." He looked back up at Tony as he slowly lowered himself to the ground, panic fluttering in his chest as the darkness inched closer. "I need you to stay as long as you can, please Tony. As long as you can hold on, I need to get out of here but I need something, someone nearby. Please."

* * *

“I can’t stay forever right now,” Tony responded regretfully. “But, I will be back soon. I think I have an idea of how to stay longer.” He didn’t add that staying longer included putting himself into a coma, but what Stephen doesn’t know won’t kill him.  

“I’ll stay as long as I can now, but given how long REM sleep lasts, and since this does seem like REM sleep, the others will be trying to wake me up far too soon.”

* * *

"I can work with that," Stephen said, closing his eyes and crossing his legs beneath him. He felt the blackness surrounding him, trying to press down, but he had control of the situation right now and refused to give it up.

He took a deep breath and let it out, focusing on what he felt and where he was. Feathers danced across his skin, the darkness reaching for him but pulling back, again and again. He focused on the warmth in his face, the light shining from far above that way he could feel emanating from Tony, and pulled at it.

He shuddered, feeling a wash of cold across his skin, and pulled harder, gritting his teeth as the darkness clung to him, refusing to let him go. His shoulders sagged with the weight of a sudden exhaustion, but with one last tug, he felt something holding him stretch and bend, giving way for him to breathe.

He felt warm wind on his face. Opening his eyes, Stephen was greeted by the sight of the surface of an alien planet, a dark chasm below him, and the face of someone he never thought he'd see again. He was still sitting cross-legged, floating above the darkness he could feel roiling beneath him, tugging at his subconscious, but he was eye level with Tony.

"Hello again," Stephen said with a relieved grin.

* * *

“Hey there,” Tony stated. He had watched Stephen float up and had been wondering how he was doing it. “That was pretty badass, I’m not going to lie.”

He then tapped at the barrier, and it rippled with a gold hue before it stilled and became invisible again. “If I could, I’d hug you, but I’ll have to suffer the impoliteness. Never thought I’d see you again, Strange.”

* * *

Stephen hummed. "No, I think I'm good on the hugging end, thanks." He shifted, testing guys balance, which seemed to hold. "I only have a few minutes I can do this, but that should be enough for now." Even as he spoke, he could feel his tenuous grasp of control beginning to weaken.

"So, I take it big, purple, and ugly won?" he asked. "I mean, why else would I have... you know."

* * *

“Yes, he did. I was the only one on Titan to survive,” Tony said with some difficulty. It was clear he didn’t have his usual snark about him, but he seemed more broken than usual.

“Thor found me and brought me back to Earth. Half of everything, gone with a single snap. It’s strange... no pun intended.”

* * *

Time seemed to slow, as if he still had the Eye. _It couldn't be._  "Peter...?" he said softly, even though he knew the answer.

* * *

Tony looked away, and he gave a small nod. His goal was to try to keep Stephen from seeing how much pain was in his eyes when the kid was mentioned. His goal was wrecked when he felt a tear fall, which he quickly wiped away.

“Well, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ is a pretty relevant song nowadays.” Covering the pain with humor. Classic defense mechanism, Stark.

* * *

Anger flashed at the apparent dismissal. "Tony, that was in bad taste and you know it," Stephen said, losing his focus for a moment and faltering. He quickly righted himself and glared at the man.

"Look, I know it's hard for you, acting like a human being and showing emotion when bad things happen, but you need to learn someday before it all blows up in your face. You're not a machine, despite how attached you are to that gadget in your chest. Quit acting like one."

* * *

Tony glared. “Wow, thanks Strange. Really makes me want to be more open,” he drawled, his tone dry and sarcastic. Ironically, this reaction is more emotionally raw than his other one. “Sorry I’m not some perfect mind wizard that acts like he has control of everything.” It was the comment about the chest piece that really set him off - and as he got more emotional, Titan began to shrink around him. He was waking himself up.

  
“Maybe if I had some magic powers I could just take away this ugly chest piece. Wouldn’t you just adore that?” His grief that he had just been reminded of kept his filter off. “Maybe if I was like you I wouldn’t be such a disappointment. Maybe Peter would still be—“ He stopped himself as he choked on the words, having stood without realizing it. He was fading away.

* * *

"No, wait-" Stephen started, his concentration fumbling, feeling the void beneath him yanking at his feet. This wasn't what he wanted at all, he just wanted Tony to _see,_ but now things were falling apart and he could feel the yawning expanse of the darkness dragging him back under as Tony's image flickered and the world around them faded. 

  
"Tony, that's not what I- wait, I didn't mean to, to-" Panic consumed him at the same time his feet touched the black. He screamed as it tugged him down, and he scrabbled for a hold on the edge of the crevice. His fingers slid off the golden barrier, but there was just enough of a ledge for him to cling to.

"Tony, I'm s-"  
  
His fingers slipped, and he plunged back into the darkness. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it them. luv them

Tony’s eyes widened as he realized what he did, messed up like he messed up everything, and his inner monologue of self-hate was reeling as he sat up once again in the physical world.   
  
He looked around, wondering if anybody was present, and his eyes landed on Pepper Potts.

* * *

Pepper startled at Tony's sudden awakening and was at his side in an instant. 

  
"Tony! God, is it good to see you awake. Cap told me you'd woken up earlier, but when I came in to check on you, you were out like a light again." She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, avoiding his panicked-looking gaze. "I stayed with you, if that's okay."    
  
Despite his expression, she felt relief well up inside her, and had to stuff down some tears that threatened to escape. "I was worried," she said softly. "Well, we were all worried. When you, uh, didn't come back. And I heard what happened on Titan," she added quickly, "so don't feel the need to go through that again. I don't want you to worry any more, at least for a bit. I'm just glad you're alive.

* * *

Tony suddenly grabbed Pepper and hugged her tightly. Barely audible, he muttered to himself, “What have I done...?” He pulled away and said, “I need some chemicals.”

  
He rattled off a bunch of chemicals, hoping Pepper doesn’t know that they make a concoction that put people into comas. He equally hoped that she didn’t ask Friday what they were for.

* * *

Startling at the sudden embrace, Pepper barely had a moment to reciprocate before Tony was gone and talking a mile a minute. She blinked in confusion, before jumping and doing what he said, pulling out her phone and telling Friday to start recording. 

  
"Tony, I know this is going to sound redundant, but you're acting a little off," she interrupted. "What do you need these all for? You're still on bed rest, you haven't healed properly from space, there's no way in hell we're letting you back into your workshop so soon after all that."

* * *

“I can tinker from here,” Tony pointed out. “Anyway, I’m always off. You can find all of the chemicals in the chem lab, the one we made for Bruce.” He is hoping that Bruce isn’t actually there to help.

  
“I need this stuff ASAP. It’s gonna help me feel a lot better.” It’s not a lie, but it’s not gonna make him feel better in the way Pepper might expect.

* * *

Pepper sighed and shook her head. "No, Tony, the chemicals the doctors already have you on are gonna make you feel better. Sleep is gonna make you feel better. Tinkering with no doubt dangerous chemicals in your state is just an invitation for things to get worse."

  
She slipped her phone back in her pocket and sat down on the edge of the bed. Covering one of Tony's hands with her own, she said "I can't let you run yourself into the ground. Not again, not now. Not after we've already lost so many good people, when there's not much left for us. We have to hold on to the friends and family we have left."

* * *

Tony nodded. “Thanks, Pepper. You always know how to put a pep in my step. Pun intended.”

  
Little did Pepper know, she had just hardened Tony’s resolve to do something that isn’t so healthy.

* * *

Relieved at finally getting through to him, Pepper laughed and patted his hand again before standing up. "I'll hold onto this list for you," she said, "but you're not getting them until you've healed up enough to get them yourself. And even then," she added, smirking playfully, "maybe I'll get Bruce to hide them somewhere you'll never look. Like the closet."

* * *

Tony gave his first real laugh since the events on Titan, and he gave Pepper a genuine smile.

  
“I needed that, thanks Pepper. But I do need those chemicals now, or as close to now as possible.”

* * *

Pepper closed her eyes. "There really is no convincing you, is there?" 

  
She had learned it was far easier to just go along with him, even if it was detrimental to prior plans and also, oh, say, his health. "Fine, I'll get you what you need. But I need to know what it's for, what the effects are, and how dangerous it is first. There's no way I'm letting you play with explosives while bedridden, and if you accidentally science up some napalm in here, I'm pretty sure the doctors will have more than one problem with you."

* * *

“It’s a surprise, I can’t tell you. But you can’t make a napalm out of it, I’ll guarantee you that,” Tony stated. “Shoo, I might tell you once you get it.”

* * *

"Don't shoo me," Pepper said. "I'm not on board with you, you know that. Don't think I won't get Bruce on my side."

  
Though she complained, she did so while walking to the door, resigned to her fate as messenger girl. "Just- don't leave the room. I'll be back."

* * *

Tony gave a salute. “Aye, aye.” He gave a small smile, glad that he was on his way to helping Strange. He needed to make up for his blunder.

  
Bruce, meanwhile, was messing around in the chem lab, not really doing anything specific.

* * *

Pepper knocked softly on the lab door before opening it. It was clear, so she knew Bruce would see her, but she did it out of courtesy anyways. 

  
"Hey Bruce, you doing okay?" she asked, leaning against a bare table while she watched him work.

* * *

“Oh, yeah! Hi, Pepper! Has Tony woken up yet?” Bruce asked. He knew she had been worried about him, so he had hoped they would get to talk soon.

 

* * *

 

She nodded. "He has. He actually sent me your way with a shopping list. Has it in his head that the chemicals the doctors are giving him aren't enough, and wants to tinker in his bed 'till he's well enough to come here and bother you."    
  
She pulled out her phone and pulled up the file she'd recorded. Friday had helpfully made a list of the chemicals he mentioned, and she turned the screen to show Bruce. "This is what he wants. He claims he's not working on anything destructive, but knowing him, I wanted to run it by you before giving him anything to play with. Thoughts?"

 

* * *

 

Bruce scowled, worried. “Um... Pepper, I’m sure Tony was hoping we wouldn’t work this out, but these chemicals put together are used to induce comas. Why would Tony want to put himself into a coma?”   
  
He held the phone and continued to scowl at the screen, as if it could tell him why Tony behaved the way he did.

 

* * *

 

/ _Deep breath. Don't lose it_./ Pepper sighed and closed her eyes. "Of course he would," she said to herself. "Of course he'd pull something like this." / _He must think we were idiots. Well, he almost played me like one_./   
  
"No clue, but that seals the deal on what I'd already been thinking: he's not ready to leave the medbay yet. Something's wrong with him, we knew that. After all he'd been through before Thor found him, of course he'd be in a state to do something rash." She frowned, worry tugging at her brow. "Though why a coma, I couldn't tell you."

 

* * *

 

“Maybe we should say something? You know him better than I do,” Bruce suggested. “We can’t let him put himself into a coma, clearly. Didn’t we just have to pull him out of one?”   
  


* * *

 

"Yeah, we did." Pepper crossed her arms, thinking. "I already tried talking to him, but now that I know _/why/_ he wants these chemicals, we should try again. You should definitely come though, I don't think he'll listen if it's just me, no matter how good friends we are."    
  
She smiled softly, offering her hand. "Be my backup?"

 

* * *

 

Bruce nodded and took her hand momentarily to give it a reassuring squeeze, then he walked out of the lab with her to the room Tony was in. He knocked meekly before he entered, and he walked in with confidence before he shrunk a bit and looked to Pepper.   
  
“Shit, I was hoping he wasn’t actually going to be in the lab...” Tony muttered. “What’s going on?”

 

* * *

 

"Tony, we're having an intervention," Pepper said, cutting to the chase. She looked back at Bruce, meeting his gaze, and nodded, before looking back at Tony and glaring down at him.    
  
"We're not letting you put yourself in a coma." Crossing her arms again, attempting to put off an air of authority, she said "You're already in bad enough shape as it is, and whatever harebrained scheme you're planning that requires this isn't gonna fly. Nothing good can come of a self-induced coma in this state."

 

* * *

 

“Oh, come on. I’m not an alcoholic!” Tony responded indignantly, though that was probably a lie. “I don’t need an intervention, I need the chemicals. Don’t go all motherly, Pepper.”   
  
“No, Tony, she’s right. A coma for a coma-recovering patient probably isn’t a great idea,” Bruce interjected. “Especially not when we still don’t know what exactly being on Titan did to you. And... that’s a lot of chemicals...?” He was running out of stern things to say.

 

* * *

 

Pepper could see her friend was running out of steam and confidence, and interjected in an effort to save him.    
  
"Tony, no. We're not doing it. It's still too soon after the trauma we all experienced, there's no way we're letting you play with fate and knock yourself out like that again. I can't-"    
  
She stopped short, then continued in a smaller voice. "I can't lose you too. Not now. Please, Tony."

 

* * *

 

“...Fine,” Tony stated, phrasing it to let Pepper believe he had given up, but in reality he was just going to find another way.   
  
Bruce gave a sigh of relief. “That’s good. But just in case, I think we should have Friday keep the chem lab closed to Tony.” He says this to Pepper, and Tony puts on an offended expression.

 

* * *

 

She nodded. "Good idea." Taking his hand again, she squeezed it comfortingly before letting go, whispering a quick "thanks" as she did so.    
  
Rounding the edge of the bed, Pepper sat back down next to Tony. "I hate to do this, you do know that, right? Stifling your creativity is the exact opposite of what I want to do. But you're not in the right headspace right now to go inducing comas, and I worry if things go too far, you'll do something you can't come back from."    
  
She looked down to her hands in her lap, where she was fiddling with her bracelet. "I'm so sorry about... about Peter, and Dr. Strange. And all of the others. I'm sorry you had to witness that, but there's nothing you can do now, except work to make things better here, and now. And you can't do that if you're dead."

 

* * *

 

Tony’s eyes hardened at the mention of those he lost, but he knew how he could save Strange. “Thanks for your concern, Pepper. I hope I can make up for it.” He didn’t mention that he isn’t talking about the concern she’s already experienced.   
  
Meanwhile, Bruce was trying not to blush about how he kept finding himself holding Pepper’s hand, even momentarily.

* * *

 

Pepper smiled fondly. "Make up for it by getting better. I know you've been sleeping a lot, but the healing process really is faster if you sleep through most of it, and I'm sure you burned off a lot of energy during the fight. You deserve the rest. And _/not/_ through a self-imposed coma!" she added, chastising him.    
  


 

* * *

 

“Okay, okay!” Tony responded. He forced a reassuring grin. “I’ll get some sleep.” Internally, he’s remembering how just getting some sleep won’t keep him under long enough.   
  
Bruce scuffed his shoe onto the floor as he waited for the interaction to finish. “Uh, hey Pepper? I’m gonna head back to the chem lab.”   
  


 

* * *

 

Pepper looked up. "Wait a minute, I'll come with. I still want to talk to you."    
  
Turning back to Tony, she leaned forward and hugged him briefly. "Things will get better, I promise. We can make it through this if we stick together."    
  
She stood and followed Bruce out the door, shutting it softly behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this bitch got long
> 
> EDIT: added art i made when we were writing it

Tony waited for a minute or two before he stated, “Friday, this is an order: if anyone tries to come in here, tell them I’m asleep. If anyone looks for me, don’t tell them where I am until I’ve done what I need to do.” He pulled out all the IVs that were back in him as he spoke. He was about to do something drastic, and he waited for Friday’s “Yes, boss.” before he exited the room.  
  
He looked around as he walked, sneaking down to the basement where he worked on new suits. He manually locked the door and walked over to where he kept his “Forceful Metal Adherence” machine - a fancy name for something that smashes metal together. He turned it on and muttered some calculations to himself before he entered a number for the amount of force needed to knock him into a coma but not kill him. Once he did that,  he moved to have his head in what he liked to call the Smash Zone, and he activated the machine. _Oops,_  he thought to himself as he found himself on the floor, noticing blood puddling below his head.  
  
Next thing he knew, he was staring into the darkness over the cliff on Titan. Mind Titan? He didn’t know what to call it, but as he stood there, he shouted, “Strange! I’m here!”

 

* * *

 

Stephen screamed until his voice went hoarse, shouting for Tony to come back, apologizing to an emotionless void that couldn't hear him anyway. He curled in on himself, as much as he could in a place where no physical body existed, and gasped for breath he didn't need.  
  
The darkness snapped away, offended at the bright light suddenly shining down on him, and Stephen was abruptly brought back to his body. He looked up again, at the edge of the chasm, though he already knew who was up there.  
  
"T-Tony?" he croaked, his voice rough. He stood unsteadily, not having expected him back so soon. Though it still felt an eternity, here in this place.  
  
This place which looked a lot brighter, a lot clearer than the past couple times he'd been there. Something was different, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Tony, what did you do?"

 

-

 

Pepper fiddled with her bracelet as she followed Bruce back into the chem lab. She had so much on her mind, she didn't know where to start.  
  
"Bruce, I'm worried about him," she finally admitted. "I mean, you knew that. But I'm really worried. Thor told us what happened on Titan, but apparently it was a lot worse than we thought. I know he was close to Peter, and I worry that he's blaming himself for his death. Do you think he's going to do something stupid?"

 

* * *

 

“I bought us time. Look, Strange, I overreacted and messed up. I’m here for a while longer now, what is it you need to do to get back?” Tony asked, deciding not to say what he just did to himself to get there. “How can I help?”  
  
“I’m not sure. Friday, keep us posted,” Bruce stated. After a minute, Friday stated, “The boss is currently bleeding in the basement due to head trauma.” Bruce immediately stood and was out the door at that statement, knowing Pepper would be ahead of him already.

 

* * *

 

Stephen shook his head, glancing back down at the darkness that twisted around him before speaking up. "I shouldn't have said what I did either. You are a massive prick with emotional problems, that much is true, but I should have added: pot, kettle, black. Are we good now? Because I would rather like to get out of this place and stay out."  
  
He lowered himself again, drawing on that feeling he'd used earlier to levitate himself out of the pit, and closed his eyes.  
  
-  
  
Pepper cursed, bolting out the door in a panic. Despite the adrenaline coursing through her, she still managed to input the codes necessary to open the basement door. At the negative beep, though, she felt the panic really setting in. "Friday, the door, open the door!" she shouted. "And call the base doctor again, get the ER ready!"  
  
With a beep of approval, the manual lock clunked and slid open. She burst into the room, before stopping dead at the prone body before her.  
  
"Bruce, is he-" She couldn't finish the sentence.

 

* * *

 

“We’re good. I am all for getting you out of here, especially if it means I can stop being here every time I fall asleep,” Tony added. “What can I do?”  
  
He sat on the ground - imaginary ground - and watched Strange. “I would rather not have to just sit here and watch.”  
  
Faintly, he could hear what sounded like Bruce and Pepper, and he figured they had found him.  
  
-  
  
Bruce rushed forward and checked for a pulse. “No, he’s fine. Tony is smart enough to figure out how to knock himself into a coma without killing himself. Why was he so determined to do this?” The last sentence was mumbled to himself with a scowl.

 

* * *

 

"Sadly, I think the best course of action for you is to sit and watch," Stephen said, concentrating until he could feel himself rising again. He opened his eyes when he reached the top, eye level with Tony.  
  
"I'm not going into this knowing what I'm doing, just so you know," he added, closing his eyes again and taking a deep breath. "It's not like I have to will myself back to life often. I'm running blind here, though I feel like your presence is helping somewhat."  
  
-  
  
Pepper let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "Thank god," she said, clutching her heart. It was making a valiant attempt at escaping her chest at the moment, and she felt her legs begin to give out underneath her. She steadied herself on a workbench as a couple medics rushed in, a gurney suspended between them, and started loading Tony up.  
  
"Something's definitely up."

 

* * *

 

“Alright. I’ll just find ways to entertain myself,” Tony muttered. He began to think about other things, like the plans for his next suit. He became bored quickly.  
  
“So, are you thinking you’re just gonna meditate or something?” he asked.  
  
-  
  
“We’ll ask when he wakes up. For now, we’ll just have to wonder,” Bruce stated with a shrug.

 

* * *

 

Stephen sighed, irritated. "On the nose, aren't you? Yes, that's the extent of my plan right now. Happy?"  
  
He moved his hands, folding them in his lap instead of extended on his knees, doing a series of complex gestures, and grunted in frustration when nothing happened.  
  
At Tony's obvious boredom, Stephen glared. "I'm trying to focus on life, if that makes any sense. What it feel like to be alive, what I remember the world to be. I think that if I use my memories and my mind, if I focus hard enough, the bonds that bound me to that plane will pull me through, home from wherever Thanos deposited me and the others." Explaining it in such a simple way was maddening, but things like this defied explanation. They defied most of physics too, but he'd long since done away with those laws.  
  
"Unfortunately, you're my only current bond to the real world I can latch onto. Something about your presence strengthens my abilities. Nowhere near what they are normally, but they'll have to do," he added bitterly. "So long as you are here, the nothingness stands back, allowing me to concentrate. And whatever you did to stay here longer seemed to have an effect on this world, too; making it brighter, in higher contrast than the fuzzy dreamlike quality it had before. I'm not sure, but I think that'll help...?" He was grasping for straws at this point, but he wouldn't admit that.  
  
-  
  
Pepper nodded minutely, silently resigning herself to another night of sleepless watching.

 

* * *

 

Tony nodded. He tried to think about something else, but his thoughts slipped to a darker place as he started thinking about the fight with Thanos, then the first attack on New York, and he stared into the darkness behind Strange.  
  
He couldn’t help it, the bad thoughts didn’t have much to keep them at bay nowadays. What he didn’t realize was that his bad thoughts caused tendrils of the void to trickle into his side of the barrier.

 

* * *

 

Stephen hummed idly, still weaving his fingers in an intricate dance that didn't affect anything, but was more habit at this point. His face contorted. "God, Beyoncé gets stuck in my head at the worst times," he muttered.  
  
He stopped as he felt something shift in the emptiness below him. Glancing down, dread dropped heavy and cold in his stomach. "Tony... what are you doing?"

 

* * *

 

Tony was startled out of his thoughts by his name being spoken. Instantly, the darkness was back in its place.  
  
“Beyoncé? Which song? I’m more of an AC/DC guy myself,” he blurted. He pretended like nothing just happened.

 

* * *

 

Stephen raised an eyebrow, glancing at the retreated darkness, then back at Tony. Wisely, he followed his lead and closed his eyes again.  
  
"Crazy In Love," he said, conjuring up a mental image of the runes for opening a portal between dimensions and drawing them in the air with his hands. When nothing continued to happen, he changed tactics yet again. "It's an oldie but it's catchy. It was stuck in my head during our adventure some time ago, but there were more important things on my mind at the time, of course."

 

* * *

 

 

Tony started humming the song, and he eventually said, “I got bored once and learned the dance number for that.”  
  
He kept humming, thinking about the dance moves and trying to see if he could remember all of them. Of course, he could remember them since he was a genius.

 

* * *

 

Hearing Tony Stark humming a pop song was startling enough to get a chuckle out of Stephen. He opened his eyes to make a quip about something, but he forgot what it was.  
  
"Tony, are you- uhh."

 

* * *

 

“Oh, no, I’m not. Believe me, you could not handle seeing me do that dance, you would be scarred for life,” Tony joked with a lopsided grin.

 

* * *

 

Smirking, Stephen rolled his eyes. "You vastly underestimate my ability to deal with weird shit then, Stark, but sure. I would be horribly scarred, unable to look you in the eye without seeing your shaking rear end. That's definitely it."

 

* * *

 

“I mean, I can definitely say my ass is something to write home about,” Tony responded with a smug smirk. “I remember your magic cape smacking it at some point.” He was amusing himself with this more to keep the darkness out. Something about being next to the void tempted his bad thoughts more than normal.

 

* * *

 

Stephen sputtered, focus on his task all but gone. "The Cloak of Levitation didn't _smack your ass!_ ," he said, flustered. His face heated. "You were touching something you shouldn't have, it simply got your attention away from it in a completely sane and non-sexual manner."

 

* * *

 

“Uh-huh. Like a smack on the shoulder wouldn’t have gotten the job done,” Tony replied sarcastically, but it was clear he was amused by Stephen’s response. “You tell yourself whatever you want.”

 

* * *

 

He shifted uncomfortably, not meeting Tony's smug eye, and changed the subject. "I sincerely doubt your dancing skills are really all that. No one can compare to Beyoncé, and you're insane if you think you can match up. End of discussion, back to normal people things like finding a way out of this hell."

 

* * *

 

Tony was not satisfied with that. Well, at least mostly because the discussion was keeping his mind off of his trauma. “I’ll have you know I do yoga - mostly because Pepper tells me it de-stresses me- so I can dance with the flexibility of a ballerina. A good one.”

 

* * *

 

Stephen scoffed, valiantly keeping his mind off the images that sentence tried to evoke. He _really_  didn't need that, he insisted to himself.  
  
"How flexible can a man in his what- mid forties? -be anyways? I don't believe you." He closed his eyes, trying to end the conversation before it went where he realized he might be leading it.  
  
_Fuck, fuck, I fucked up_ , he thought. _Escape. Focus on escape. Focus on leaving, on living, on something other than Tony Mother-fucking Stark._

 

* * *

 

“You starting something here, Strange? Because I can prove myself,” Tony stated, but he didn’t wait for a response before he stood and stretched a bit. He then leaned down and basically folded himself in half to plant his palms on the ground, going beyond just touching his toes. “Easy. Basic. I can do more. Still think I’m too old to be flexible?”

 

* * *

 

Stephen choked on his response, gritting his teeth and turning his head away. Or at least, he tried to. The vision was magnetic.  
  
He scoffed, trying for an air of disinterest, though there was no telling how convincing it was. "Fine, you sure showed me. Can you stop that now? I'm trying to concentrate, and you're not helping."

 

* * *

 

Tony smirked, his head too clouded by the feeling of proving himself right to notice that Stephen is more interested than he’s letting on. “Hah, I’m right. Told ya so.” He returned to his cross-legged position.  
  
“Go back to your positive thinking. I’ll stop bothering you.”

 

* * *

 

Stephen felt almost disappointed that the show was over before it began, but he quickly squashed that thought down and berated his subconscious for thinking such things.  
  
"Yes, positive thinking," he mumbled, shaking his head to clear it. "Um."  
  
But his head was filled with images of Tony now, bending and stretching far more than was decent. Stephen blinked, furrowing his brow, and tried again to clear his mind, but the image was stuck now.  
  
He growled in irritation, and felt his face heat. _Like an infatuated schoolgirl, how dare?_

 

* * *

 

Lucky for Stephen, Tony wasn’t paying attention. He was thinking about Pepper, and he felt guilty about how he had left himself for her and Bruce to find. Before he felt too guilty, though, he remembered the void and snapped himself out of it.  
  
Then, he noticed the blush. “Alright, I’m sure you have someone you want to get back to, but let’s not think too positively.”

 

* * *

 

Stephen shook his head, still trying to remove the images that assaulted him. He avoided Tony's teasing gaze. "No, not really. Apart from those at the Sanctum, there aren't really people waiting on me."  
  
He thought of Christine, but dismissed the thought. She was living her life, without him. That chapter was closed, and he was content to file it away. No, the blush was for a far different reason, which he very much _did not_  want Stark to find out.

 

* * *

 

“You’re not with Wong, are you?” Tony asked, making a face. “I’m gonna say no. I need to do something physical, I’m getting bored.” He stood again.

 

* * *

 

Stephen mimicked his off-put face. "Oh, hell no," he said. "I didn't mean it that way. I meant- you _know_  what I meant, Tony, don't make me imagine Wong like that again please and thank you."  
  
And then Tony stood again, and Stephen realized things were about to get very bad, very fast.

 

* * *

 

“I’m feeling some Sun Salutation. Do you do yoga with your wizard friends? It’s supposed to help you connect with your mind and soul or something,” Tony muttered as he took a few steps back and turned to the side so he wasn’t looking Stephen in the eyes awkwardly.  
  
He started, breathing in and tapping his hands above his head before he sank into a forward fold. Breath in, rise halfway, breath out, sink down.

 

* * *

 

Stephen felt his mouth dry as he watched Tony glide through the poses near-effortlessly. His muscles seemed to ripple like water under his skin, and it was so hypnotizing he almost forgot to answer the question.  
  
"Er- yeah! I mean, no, not all of us," he stuttered, failing to tear his eyes away from the arch of Tony's back. "Some of the acolytes and other sorcerers do, but I never really, uh, thought it was my thing." _Oh, it's definitely my thing now. Just not to do._

 

* * *

 

Tony did the routine a couple times before he said, “It helps me gear up for a fight, and the added flexibility helps during the fight as well.”  
  
Feeling like he needed a challenge, Tony did standing splits, where he leaned forward and one leg was up in the air so his body looked like one line. “It’s apparently really good for you. Pepper had to do a lot of persuading to get me to start. You should try it sometime. Maybe when you’re back in the normal world I can give you some pointers.”

 

* * *

 

"Yeah I'd, uh, like that..." he trailed off, before snapping somewhat back to the present. "No, wait, no. Definitely not. I'm not learning yoga from Tony Stark, that's ridiculous." But as he watched, his body did something funny that completely contradicted what he'd said, agreeing wholeheartedly that yes, he absolutely /should/ learn some yoga pointers from Tony Stark, and maybe then something else-  
  
Oh, fuck. He was done for. There was no denying his attraction to the man, was there? Stephen gave up.  
  
As soon as he had that thought, it felt like something inside him snapped, and the in-between world they were in brightened in a flash. He felt something heavy slam into his chest, pulling him in some direction he couldn't fathom, and the roiling darkness beneath him screaming in outrage before reaching up to him.  
  
And shrank back as his form rippled like a mirage.  
  
"Tony, what-" he started, losing his balance and reaching out towards the barrier. But there was no barrier, and he fell forward onto the hard ground in front of where Tony was stretching.  
  
He reached out as he felt the world shuddering around him, forcing him out, forcing him _home._

 

* * *

 

“Holy shit, Strange,” Tony exclaimed, reaching down to help him up. He watched his cloak reappear even as his form disappears. “You’re gonna be back before I am. Let Pepper and Bruce know I’m okay, yeah? Tell Pepper I’m getting my yoga routine in.” He winked playfully and patted Stephen’s cheek, having to reach up to do so because of the height difference.  
  
“See ya on the other side.”

 

* * *

 

The touch to his hand and his cheek burned almost to the point of pain, but even that was flickering. He clutched the hem of his cape, which wound itself around his shoulders like a clingy child and refused to let go. His eyes flashed down to Tony's, which wrinkled in amusement.  
  
As the warmth of life encompassed him, bringing him out of this world and into the other, he smiled cautiously.  
  
Covering Tony's hand with his own before he disappeared completely, he whispered "See you soon."  
  
And woke up on the floor of an unfamiliar room, with two shocked pairs of eyes staring at him.  
  
"Er, hello?" he grinned.

 

* * *

 

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/158952925@N03/27919436507/in/datetaken/)


	6. Chapter 6

“...Strange?” Bruce asked. “Tony said the snap got you. Where did you come from?” He looked around, the curiosity seeming to stress him out. “What happened?”

 

* * *

 

Pepper might have screamed a little at the strangely-dressed man appearing suddenly on the floor of the hospital room her, Bruce, and Tony's comatose body were in. Just a little bit.    
  
Okay, she definitely screamed, and nearly dropped the scalding coffee she was holding all over him, as he had appeared _right in front of them on the floor_.    
  
"You know this man?" she asked Bruce once she'd calmed down a bit and gotten her breathing under control. Now that she thought about it, he did look a little familiar.    
  
"Wait, you're the man that stole Tony away when the invasion happened!" she said, snapping her fingers as the memory came back to her. "Before he went into space in that ring thing, you appeared out of nowhere and whisked him away!"    
  
-   
  
Strange blinked up at, letting his newly restored vision refocus on the world around him. He seemed to be in a hospital room, though his vantage point was a bit low to tell much else.    
  
He stood slowly, and as he examined the faces of the two people in front of him, recognized the man.    
  
"Mr. Banner, yes, a pleasure seeing you again," he said, brushing off his shirt. It seemed to be repaired from the fight on Titan, and he felt the cloak tighten around his shoulders briefly, letting him know it was okay as well. Huh.    
  
"To answer your question: yes, Thanos did manage to erase me along with everyone else. But..." Here he trailed off, unsure of how to explain how he managed to get back. "Something happened. Somehow, Tony found me, and through some manner of will beyond even me, I came back."

He stared at his hands, turning them over, before concentrating. With barely any effort, yellow sparks danced across his fingertips.    
  
"Tony saved me," he said, wonder painting his voice. "Tony..."    
  
His head snapped up. "Tony! Where is he?"

 

* * *

 

Bruce coughed awkwardly and pointed at the hospital bed where Tony lay, comatose. There was a bandage around his head with a clear red spot where the machine had caused cuts to appear.   
  
“Did he smash his head to go comatose to go after you?” he asked. “That would explain why he was so hell-bent on putting himself into a coma.”

 

* * *

 

Putting his head in his hands, Stephen sighed. "Yep, that sounds about right. Of course he would do something stupid like that, the _idiot."_ __   
  
He went over to the side of the bed, laying a hand over where Tony's rested on his chest. Staring into his creased face, he shook his head. "He is okay, though, right? Nothing irreparable?"    
  
-   
  
Pepper eyed Stephen as he talked, an idea forming in her head. Tony wouldn't risk brain damage for just anyone, especially not when he prized his mind so much. Something was going on between the two of them, and if the way Dr. Strange watched her friend's face was any indication, things were bound to get complicated once Tony woke up.

 

* * *

 

“Yeah. He made sure the machine was set so it just knocked him out,” Bruce explained, and he looked at Pepper to see if she was thinking what he was about the true nature of Tony and Strange’s relationship.   
  
“He should be awake within the next twenty-four hours at least. Though if I know anything about Tony, if he’s left in whatever mindscape you were in by himself, he’s gonna have nightmares. Maybe Pepper should stay with him.” He felt wary as well, as he didn’t quite trust Strange yet.

 

* * *

 

Pepper nodded. "I'll stay with him overnight. I was already planning on it, but this just seals the deal. He can't be alone right now, whether awake or unconscious."   
  
She settled back down in her chair, like she was aiming to do before Strange appeared. Nodding at Bruce, she sipped her coffee.    
  
-   
  
Stephen looked up. "I should-"    
  
He stopped. He'd started to say he should stay as well, but now that he knew Tony would be okay, there was something more pressing on his mind that he had to deal with. Those images of Tony stretching like some sort of exotic dancer had set his nerves on edge then, and now that the danger had passed and he was in the real world again, his body was reminding him of a few real world problems that needed fixing.    
  
He blushed as the cloak shivered, almost as if it were laughing at him and his steadily-heating skin.    
  
"I need to go anyways, the end of the world kinda sapped my energy," he said in a rush, hoping his guess on where they were was correct. "Do you have a spare room I could crash in? Nothing fancy or long term or anything, just a bed is fine.

 

* * *

 

“Yeah. Friday can tell you where to go. This place is a maze, so I helped Tony install these lights in the floor that lead you to where you need to be. Like Google maps?” Bruce explained, nerding out a bit at how cool his idea had been. He didn’t even notice Stephen’s behaviour.

 

* * *

 

...but Pepper did. She was observant, and definitely caught on to how Strange seemed to be shifting from foot to foot awkwardly. She raised an eyebrow, shooting a glance at Bruce, but he was too busy being adorable to notice. She huffed, but shook off the thought and stood.   
  
"Here, I've got it," she said, before looking up and addressing the speaker systems around the room. "Friday, lead Mr. Strange to the guest quarters on floor two, please."   
  
"Yes ma'am," the AI responded, before a green light flashed at the base of the door leading into the hallway.   
  
-  
  
"It's 'Doctor'," Stephen mumbled under his breath, but ignored it and headed to the door. He was careful not to seem too eager to leave, but as he cast his eyes across Tony's sleeping face one last time, the image of his ass in the air as he touched the floor came back, unbidden, and he nearly slammed the door in his haste to disappear before someone saw his growing erection.   
  
_Damn you, body_ , he thought as he quickly made his way down the hall, following the softly glowing light to an elevator. It opened automatically for him, closing and moving to the right floor without him even needing to press a button. 

* * *

“Did I miss something?” Bruce asked with a scowl when Stephen left. “Was it important?” He shrugged and sat in the chair next to Pepper.

* * *

Pepper stayed silent a moment, thinking, before responding. "Yeah, you missed something. Don't worry about it, though. I'm sure it'll end well enough." 

* * *

 

  
Stephen collapsed on the bed as soon as the door was closed, covering his eyes with his arm as he groaned aloud.    
  
"How could this happen to me?" he whined, feeling his body thrumming with desire that he really couldn't afford to be feeling right now.    
  
The cloak wiggled out from underneath him and hovered near his face, brushing gently against his arm until he removed it to look at it. Then it promptly smacked him, flicking out of the way as he shouted and reached to grab it.    
  
"Damn fabric," he groused. "You have far too much sass for a cape, you know that?"    
  
It shivered in the imitation of a laugh, and he made another unsuccessful grab for it. "I'll make drapes out of you, don't think I won't!"    
  
It fluttered away from him, floating to the small wardrobe in the corner and sequestering itself away for the night. He found the cloak liked to be hung up at night, for whatever reason. It's not like a relic needed to sleep, but the cloak liked to imitate it at least.    
  
With the ribbing from his cape done with, his attention turned to the problem in his lap; namely, the hard-on he was still sporting. He sighed, leaning back onto the pillows.    
  
_There's no one here_ , he reasoned as he shucked off his shirt and trousers, undoing the belt buckles and leather straps until he could pull off his clothes and kick them to the floor, leaving him in a pair of cloth pants that served as underwear. _Tony wouldn't install cameras into the rooms like that, he values people's privacy. It's not like anyone will know. It's not like you're committing some unforgivable sin; he's an attractive man, most people will agree. And you haven't had a partner since Christine, so it's no surprise your libido's acting up now._ __   
  
__ Yes, this is perfectly normal.   
  
This is what he thought as he took himself in hand, groaning at the feeling after having been desensitized for so long in that in-between dimension. Every little sensation thus far had felt magnified tenfold in the short amount of time he'd been back, and this was no exception.    
  
He imagined how Tony had been earlier, stretching to the sky until a sliver of skin showed on his abdomen, and then reaching down until he was folded neatly in half. He imagined how else that extreme flexibility could be utilized- pushing Tony against a wall, folding him in half as he thrust into him, and his hand quickened. He gasped, clenching his hand as he thought of tying Tony up with his magic, leaving him bare and open and yeah, he was a goner for the man before he even knew it, because the soft expression he imagined Tony having even in this particular situation was such that Stephen felt his breath stutter and his heart clench.  __   
  
_"Fuck,"_ he groaned again, feeling the spike of warmth in his gut spike up his spine before spreading through his limbs as he came, soft and warm and fuzzy.    
  
As he came down from the endorphin high and cleaned himself up using the conveniently-placed tissue box on the nightstand, Stephen came to a conclusion he'd been trying to avoid since he recognized the bond between him and Tony, the bond that brought him back from the nothing between worlds.    
  
The same kind of bond he'd once had with Christine was blooming again, tender and new, and he feared a man such as Stark would run from it.    
  
He feared he might run from it, too.    
  
At least he slept well that night, the image of Tony's smug face following him into his dreams.

 

* * *

 

Tony, meanwhile, was regretting his decision to be comatose for as long as he was. The shadows had crept in without Stephen there to distract him, and it felt so real again as Thanos beat him, stabbed him, erased those he cared about from existence.   
  
His mind took it further, though. Strange didn’t try to save him this time, but Thanos ripped the time stone from his lifeless corpse instead. Tony was choking, choking on his own blood as Thanos stabbed him, the memory being relived repeatedly.   
  
The Chitauri appeared, along with the Leviathans swimming through the sky and— there it was. The black, empty portal he had flown that missile through. Except now, he remained trapped.   
  
The scenery around him kept changing, kept forcing him through his memories but warped to the worst outcomes. He faintly remembered that none of it was real, but only faintly. The darkness was eating him alive.   
  
He tried to hold on to the memory that he had saved Strange so recently, but it was slipping away, replaced by the days he spent unmoving on Titan, guilt eating him away as much as the void was. He needed to wake up. He shouted for someone to wake up. Until suddenly, he was sitting up, his heart beating a thousand miles an hour and his chest heaving. He was soaked in sweat. Something told him he had been out for quite a bit longer than Stephen had been back.


	7. Chapter 7

Stephen had, as he had expected, slept well that night. His dreams were pleasant, for the most part, though he did get a feeling lasting through the night that he couldn't quite place. Something was off, but upon waking, the feeling vanished, so he passed it off as remnants from his death.    
  
After dressing himself and winding his way through the corridors of the base back towards the med bay, he finally found where Tony was sleeping for the night. No one was in the room, save for Tony's unconscious body, so Stephen settled himself down in a chair next to the bed and waited.    
  
He found himself staring at Tony's pinched face, his dreams obviously not as calm as Stephen's had been. His eyelids twitched, his eyes moving back and forth rapidly underneath, like he was having a nightmare. Every once in awhile, his hands clenched on the bedsheets, digging half-moon imprints into his palms as his breath sped up.    
  
Stephen reached forward and clasped one of Tony's hands in his own, attempting to pry his fist loose before he made himself bleed. In an instant, Tony's face relaxed, his hands unclenched, and he went dead still.    
  
And then shot up with a shout, his eyes wide.    
  
Stephen immediately raised his other hand, the one not currently gripped by Tony, into the air in a placating gesture.    
  
"Calm down, Tony, it's just me," he said calmly.

 

* * *

 

“Stephen?” Tony muttered, but almost immediately a look of relief washed over his face. “I have never been happier to see someone. How long have you been back? How long have I been out?”   
  
He momentarily wondered how he doesn’t have a killer headache, but then he recognized the warm, fuzzy feeling of morphine.

 

* * *

 

Smiling at his deluge of questions, Stephen said "Don't worry, you didn't miss much. It's only been about thirteen or fourteen hours since you passed out, and I came back not too long after."    
  
He realized he was still holding Tony's hand and felt his face heat. He pulled away, folding both hands in his lap and ducking his head. "Thank you, for that. I would have been a goner, were it not for you somehow pulling me out of the abyss. I don't know how I could possibly repay you."

 

* * *

 

“Oh, trust me, I can think of a few ways,” Tony responded with a laugh, the morphine loosening him a bit. He distractedly and unconsciously reaches for Stephen’s hand again. “Anyway, it was the least I could do, given that you sacrificed yourself for me.”   
  
He reached up with his other hand to mess with the bandage on his head. He was most definitely high.

 

* * *

 

Stephen blushed harder at the implications in Tony's words, opening and closing his mouth in shock. He shook his head to clear it. _It's just the drugs, they're making him chatty. Ignore it, continue on._ __   
  
"I had different reasons then," he said instead of focusing on the way Tony's fingers trailed across his own, scarred digits almost tenderly. "For saving you, I mean. I knew it was the only way to reach the one future in which we won. I knew you had to survive, for some reason that remains vague to me even now. Though I did it for different reasons at the time, I am grateful I did for more... selfish reasons, now."    
  
He shivered, feeling open without his gloves on. He had taken them off at some point before passing out the previous night, and couldn't find them upon waking. He felt he should have looked harder, but with Tony's fingers twining with his own without the barrier of gloves between them, some part of him was glad he hadn't.

 

* * *

 

Tony then took Stephen’s hand and studied it more closely. “Huh. I heard about what happened to you. I’m real sorry...” He stopped for a minute and scowled down at Stephen’s hand.   
  
“Wonder why they didn’t... but I could...” he said, not finishing any thought but seeming like he knew what he was talking about. Suddenly, he shivered, then pulled Stephen’s hand to his face. “You’re warm. I’m gonna borrow your hand for a second.”   
  


 

* * *

 

Stephen's brain scrambled when Tony did that, the skin on his hands hypersensitive through the scar tissue, the feeling of Tony's warm, soft cheek enough to grind all thought processes to a halt.    
  
"Uh, er, you," he stuttered, trying to think of something to say, but Tony's soft nuzzling had his heart pounding in overtime, his own face as red as the cape shivering in laughter on his shoulders.    
  
"You- you're uh, you're doing that now, I guess." He cleared his throat, but the rambling continued. "This is happening, yes, this is, er, yeah, go ahead, sure."

 

* * *

 

“You okay, there, Potter?” Tony asked, tilting his head but not allowing Stephen to have his hand back. “I can just ask for a blanket if you’re uncomfortable.”

 

* * *

 

"No, no, you're good," he said quickly, not wanting the contact to end. The nickname didn't even register. "Just- it's just unexpected. Not unwanted! Just unexpected."

 

* * *

 

Tony then smirked wickedly. “You’re handsome when you’re flustered.” He then nibbled gently on one of Stephen’s fingers to pull a reaction out of him. Yup, he’s still very high.

 

* * *

 

Heat flooded Stephen's veins. His throat clicked as he swallowed heavily, eyes hooded and watching Tony carefully.    
  
His hands were one of his biggest failures, a harsh reminder of the life he screwed up and what he had to leave behind to become who he was now. To see Tony treating them with such tenderness, such reverence, had his heart fluttering with something more than arousal.    
  
"Tony..." he murmured, voice rough and low, licking his dried lips.

 

* * *

 

Tony was now riding a very similar high, amplified by the morphine in his system. He winked at Stephen.   
  
“Sensitive fingers, huh?” he asked, pressing a soft kiss to each knuckle.

 

* * *

 

"Very," he croaked. Tony's lips were so soft, he had trouble concentrating on his words, but he knew something needed to happen. They need to stop before things got out of hand, no matter how attractive the option looked.    
  
"Tony, we-" he said, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat. "We need to stop. Your mind- you're not in a good place right now."

* * *

 

“Kiss me better?” Tony responded with a soft laugh, reaching forward to grab the front of Stephen’s shirt. With a smile, he pulls him into a kiss, ignoring the man’s hesitation.

 

* * *

 

Time stopped.    
  
Stephen stood frozen in shock as Tony kissed him, all mental functions screeching to a halt. His eyes were wide open, but even as his mind started working again, screaming at him to stop and pull away, Tony was too vulnerable like this, _you're going to ruin everything_ , his eyes slid closed and he felt himself leaning forward into the kiss. The hand that was still being held against Tony's face cupped his cheek properly, tilting his head a bit to deepen the kiss.    
  


* * *

Tony kissed Stephen slowly, but with a burning desire. He ran his fingers through the other man’s hair, his brain clouded from the morphine and his judgement skewed - but he’d be lying if he didn’t admit the kiss was amazing.

* * *

Stephen was starting to lose himself entirely, even the voice of reason in his head going silent as the kiss went on. 

  
He shifted, his body moving without his permission and settling in the edge of the bed, leaning closer into Tony's space. His free hand braced himself on the bed, caging Tony in his arms.    
  
The fingernails scratching gently at his scalp startled a sigh out of him, and he scraped his teeth along Tony's bottom lip.    
  
He almost missed the sound of the door opening. 

-

Pepper was planning on checking on Tony, seeing if he'd woken yet, and maybe grabbing some breakfast after. 

  
What she was not planning on, was walking in on her boss and best friend and some strange wizard she'd only just met, making out on the hospital bed like there was no tomorrow.  __   
  
"Tony!"

* * *

Tony jumped, breaking the kiss and laying back on the bed so quickly that he became lightheaded momentarily.

  
“Hiya, Pepper,” he said casually, wiping his mouth and grinning, very clearly high off his ass.

* * *

Pepper put her hands on her hips and glared at them. "I don't wanna know what I just walked in on, do I?" she asked, rather rhetorically. 

  
-   
  
Stephen was thrown by the sudden change, blinking to clear his vision, his hand still extended in the air as if it were cupping Tony's face. _Fuck._ _   
  
_ _"_ Uh _,_ hi, Pepper...?" he said, his voice small. He hadn't known the Potts woman for very long, but he got the feeling from her that he should both fear and respect her. And he did. Very much so.    
  
"We were just, er," he started, but didn't know how to finish. There was no way to recover from that. He looked to Tony for assistance.

* * *

Tony isn’t a big help when he’s high off of morphine. “It’s not my fault that I woke up next to a hot doctor,” he protests, mimicking Pepper’s hands on her hips.

  
“You’ve seen worse,” he adds. Then he giggles. “That was awesome.”

* * *

"Wh- a _hot doctor?!_ " Pepper cried. "Tony, you barely know this man! You met him in the middle of the apocalypse! I don't trust him, and I don't see how you do after all we've all been though!" 

  
She sighed, pressing her fingers into the bridge of her nose to ward off the incoming headache. "I don't want to come off as an ass, but you shouldn't do this right now, Tony." Lowering her voice, she added "You're not in a state do be doing this."    
  
-   
  
Stephen's face somehow found it in itself to flush even more. "Hot doctor...?" he said, dazed.    
  
Yes, while that was exceedingly fun, he did agree with Pepper. "Tony, she's right," he said, finally able to think with his head again. "Now is a bad time. We should wait before going any further. I want you to be okay, and you've been through a lot in such a short amount of time. We all have," he added softly.

* * *

Tony pouts. “I am a consenting adult, since the two of you forgot,” he snapped, his mood swings even harsher now with morphine in his system.

  
“Just... both of you, get out. I don’t want to listen to your parenting. I’ll let you back in when I’m ‘in my right mind’.” He used air quotes.

* * *

"Tony, that's not what I meant," Pepper protested. "The drugs, the tragedy we _all_  suffered I might remind you, all that happened to you on Titan- I'm just worried about you." She reached out to touch the end of his bed, wanting him to understand, but not knowing how. 

  
"Just-" she sighed, ducking her head. "I'm sorry. You're right. This is your life. It's none of my business." She retracted her hand, folding both of themin front of her and stepping backwards towards the door. "Just please don't make any rash decisions. I don't want you to get hurt anymore than you are."    
  
She left, feeling she'd messed something big up.    
  
-   
  
Stephen watched her go, a pensive expression in his face. "I am sorry as well, Stark," he said after a moment. He looked down at his scarred hands. "It's not to say I don't want this, whatever this is between us. I just want us to take it slower, in the wake of what we've been through recently."    
  
He glanced up at Tony through his eyelashes, phantom dust brushing against his skin. "You weren't the only one who went through a lot that day. This isn't only for your sake; it's for mine, as well."

* * *

Tony looked away, feeling regret welling up, a bitter taste in his throat. In his usual fashion, however, he’d rather let himself live with the self-loathing than ask for forgiveness and possibly receive it. He didn’t speak.

* * *

Stephen watched him carefully, wishing he would say something. Of course, he remained stubbornly silent. He looked back down. 

  
"I'm sorry, Tony," he repeated, rising to his feet. I'll leave you alone, if that's what you want. I didn't mean to upset you."    
  
The cloak squeezed his shoulders comfortingly as he made his way to the door. He was almost there when the weight disappeared and something soft wrapped around his wrist. The cloak was trying to tug him back to the bed.    
  
Closing his eyes, Stephen said "Come on, we need to leave him alone." But the cloak refused to follow, and tugged his wrist again insistently. "Come on," he repeated, but to no avail.    
  
The cloak instead let him go and floated over to the bed Tony laid in, slithering around him until it was wrapped around him like a blanket. The collar flipped at him in a way that almost seemed indignant.    
  
"Fine," he said, and turned back to the door, but hesitated with his hand on the door handle. Something else was holding him back, but not physically.

* * *

Suddenly, Tony ripped the morphine IV from his arm. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, bringing his knees up so he’s curled into a ball.

  
“I thought I told you to leave,” he tried to say venomously, but there was no bite. The regret clogged his throat and cracked his voice.  
  
 _Hold it together_ , Stark, he thought to himself. He thought back to one of the times Howard yelled at him for being emotional, saying he didn’t raise a girl.

* * *

The cloak curled tighter around his shoulders, trying to comfort him as best a piece of sentient fabric could. It flicked it's collar at Stephen again, more urgent. 

  
Stephen was torn. He so badly wanted to comfort his friend, wanted to curl up in that bed with him and figure thing out between them, but tiny was having none of it. And to be honest, Stephen's flight response was urging him to run very far away.    
  


* * *

“Just. Go. I’m sure you’ve got people who actually act like they care waiting for you,” Tony snapped, but he wasn’t sure if the insult was directed at Stephen or himself.

* * *

The words stung, but Stephen could see through them to the hurt underneath. He turned the handle and stepped into the hall, but hesitated again. He opened his mouth to say something. 

  
He closed it. "Goodbye, Tony," he said instead, and shut the door.    
  
Leaning against it a moment, Stephen closed his eyes and tried not to let the burning behind them fall. He composed himself, shutting his thoughts into a box, which he then filed away in a corner of his mind. He couldn't afford to focus on them right now, he had a job to do.    
  
He circled his hand in the air, conjuring a portal to the Sanctum, and stepped through without another thought.


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next week, Tony let himself heal, but he wasn’t really interacting with anyone. The moment he was off bedrest, his first mission was to apologize to Pepper.   
  
He knew that money wasn’t something she cared about, so he searched for a solution, keeping in mind that any services offered in the city were - sadly - halved.   
  
Over the course of the time since Stephen left, Tony eventually stopped getting startled every time the Cloak moved or latched onto him. Soon, he started talking to it when his nerves were frayed.   
  
He managed to scrape together a dozen roses, and he put together a little gift for Pepper - a tracking device that could find him anywhere and tell her his vitals, so she didn’t have to worry any more. It was a pair of lockets that had ‘Best Friend’ inscribed into each one. His was built to do constant scans of his location and vitals, and hers was made to activate with her fingerprint and project a holographic screen that gave her that info.   
  
Once it was done, Tony went and found Pepper in the facility. He had bags under his eyes, but that wasn’t new. He was wearing his own locket hidden under his shirt, and he held hers in a box with a bow on it, and a tag that said, “I’m sorry.” He knocked on her door, then outstretched the roses so she saw them first.

* * *

Pepper had been sitting on her bed, thoughts of Thanos and the war they had been through, the people they had lost spinning through her head. She hadn't moved in hours, too consumed by her grief to realize the passage of time. 

  
The knock on her door startled her, and she groaned as her joints creaked from extended disuse. She stood and stretched, shedding the layers of darkness that clung to her mind, and went to open the door.    
  
"Oh!" She hadn't seen Tony since their altercation last week, and certainly hadn't expected to find him at her door, a dozen only slightly wilted roses thrust her way.    
  
"Are these... for me?" she asked.

* * *

“Uh, yeah. And the box. Um. Before you say anything, I’m really sorry Pep. You’re my best friend and I shouldn’t have ever treated you like that. I know you’re just worried,” Tony said as he handed over the roses. He opened the box to show it to her. “I made this as an apology. I’ve got a matching one.”

  
Inside, the locket shined, ‘Best Friends’ written in gold lettering. “It took some work.”

* * *

Pepper held the roses, listening as he spoke without reacting beyond shocked silence. 

  
She took the box, looking at the locket, and felt something inside her clench with emotion. Tears pricked her eyes. "Thank you," she murmured.    
  
Carefully maneuvering the roses into one arm, she took the locket out of the box and clasped it around her neck. The metal chain was cool against her skin but the locket itself seemed to radiate warmth.    
  
She traced the metal with her fingers. "It's beautiful."

* * *

“Yeah. It also is linked to mine,” Tony began to explain, pulling his matching one out from under his shirt. “If you press your thumb to the back, yours will tell you where I am and how my vitals are doing. So you don’t have to worry.”

* * *

At that, the tears did start to fall. She brushed her thumb along the back of the locket and watched as a small hologram projected out from the locket, showing a gps signal right in front of her and a list of vitals. His heart-rate was elevated. 

  
Pepper looked back to Tony, closing the hologram, and sniffed. "This means a lot to me," she said, wiping her eyes. She shuffled the roses around, dropping them on the dresser next to the door, and pulled Tony into a hug. "Thank you, Tony. Thank you so much."

* * *

Tony smiled. “No problem, Pepper. You mean the world to me, and I need to remind you of that more,” he responded, hugging her tightly.

  
“I’m glad you like it. Really glad.” He pulled back from the hug and slid his own locket back under his shirt.

* * *

Pepper wiped her eyes again. "I should really apologize too, you know," she admitted. "I shouldn't be trying to control your life. It's your life to live, however you want, and I shouldn't be interfering with your relationships." 

  
She tucked her locket under her shirt as well, retreating into her room to find a vase for the roses. The door was left open as an invitation.    
  
"I'll still worry about you, but if you really want me to step off, I will." She found a vase and put them in it, tracing the soft petals.

* * *

“I think if you stepped off, Pepper, I’d end up dead somewhere,” Tony pointed out. “You were right. I was high on morphine and not in the right headspace to make any decisions.” 

  
He stepped into the room and looked around. As had become habit with the cloak, he gently brushed his hand against it before gripping the hem, which was his version of holding hands with it for support.

* * *

Pepper smiled. "True. I'll still try to limit my prying, though. At least for some things. Boundaries are good, even between best friends," she said, touching the locket. 

  
She turned back to him noticed the cloak for the first time. "Wait, isn't that Strange's?" she asked. "I didn't take you for a cape guy. Are you already stealing his clothes?" The words might have seemed accusatory, but her tone insisted she was teasing.

* * *

“I think the cloak more stole me. It’s got a mind of its own,” Tony said with a chuckle, patting the cloak gently. “I kind of formed a bond. Which seems weird if you aren’t me or the cloak...”

  
He thought about that for a moment before he went on, “Speaking of Strange, I have to go work on his apology gift. I think I know what I’ll do. I’ve had to apologize too often, so I think I can pull it off.”

* * *

The cloak raised its corner and waved at Pepper, who wisely decided not to focus too hard on the concept of a sentient cape. _"_ O- _kay,"_ she said. She shook her head, wondering what Tony was getting himself into. Or what /she/ was getting herself into. 

  
"Just be careful," she added. "The world is in turmoil out there, no telling what'll happen outside this compound. Take protection in case something happens."

* * *

Tony nodded and left Pepper’s room. He headed down to the lab, a slight burden lifted from his shoulders, but the hard part was still yet to come. He pulled up the blueprints for the project for Stephen.

  
On occasion, he would ask the cloak to get him a tool or something from across the room. He had to admit that the cloak grew on him, and he’d be sad to not spend as much time with it, even if it did try to knock him out from time to time because he would start dozing off due to his ‘two hours of sleep every other night’ routine. He wanted to get it done.   
  
He made the gloves just elastic enough so he could make them a little small and they would fit snugly, but not so much so that they would cut off circulation.   
  
The circuitry was flush with the glove so if they were worn, the wires would be unnoticeable. The wristband was a bit more complicated, as it housed the brain, where the nervous and muscle signals were interpreted, the voluntary sorted from the involuntary, and a signal was sent back to have the glove allow or hinder the impulses.    
  
The gloves were thin, so they didn’t trap heat or limit feeling. This was so gloves could be worn over them or not, and objects could still be felt.   
  
Onto phase two: he found a decent sized, empty room in the facility and cleared it out. He set up speakers and hooked them up to the computer system so that Friday could play any song, whenever. He had the walls painted, and one wall was white, and he dubbed it the portal wall.   
  
He had a bed put in with drapes, and he specially made a wardrobe with one side completely for the cloak and the other for robes and such.   
  
He finished the room up with more decorating. It had a nice attached bathroom. It had its own little living room. He made a room for Stephen to stay in if he ever wanted to come back.   
  
Finally, he set up a temporary table with the gloves on it, and he sent Strange a message to portal to the facility, and sent a picture for him to portal to the exact spot in front of the presented gloves and room.   
  
Tony took a deep breath. “Friday, play a song by Beyoncé. Any song.” Then, he waited, gripping the cloak to calm his nerves.

* * *

 

**** Stephen had spent the better part of the past two weeks holed up in the Sanctum, working to repair what had been destroyed during the attack and reaching out to his contacts across the world to see who was left. It seemed the snap had taken out a good portion of his associates in the London and Hong Kong Sanctums, but fortunately, Wong was one of the survivors. They worked together to spread their remaining people out, covering as much ground as possible and saving as many people as they could.    
  
Stephen himself had been the organizer from his home in the New York Sanctum, sending messages at all hours of the day. He hadn't slept much those two weeks, feeling off without the feeling of his familiar cloak around his shoulders. He kept making comments, expecting a smack on the back of the head or an indignant shuffle of fabric, but was greeted with silence each time.    
  
His mood was low when he received the message from Tony, and worsened when it was just a summons with no explanation.    
  
"Of course, he expects me to follow instructions without question," he scoffed, signing the last of a stack of papers and setting them aside. Yet he still found himself standing and slipping on his portal ring.    
  
He studied the picture Tony sent him for a moment, memorizing it, and opened a portal in front of him. He stepped through, fully intending to give Tony a piece of his mind, but stopped short at the sound of music and the sight before him.    
  
__ 'I've never been in love quite before, until I saw your face   
and watching stars without you   
my soul cries   
my heaving heart   
is full of pain   
When we're apart   
the aching   
I'm kissing you, oh'

* * *

“For the record, Friday chose the song,” Tony immediately stated, scuffing his toe into the carpet awkwardly. His grip on the cloak tightened.

  
“So, I’ve prepared a small speech, if you are willing to listen,” he continued, a worried scowl on his face when he realized that Stephen might just leave and not come back. “Please stay and hear me out?”

* * *

Stephen's eyes flashed from the table in front of him to the rest of the room, which seemed newly renovated. He didn't recognize the room, but his internal compass placed him somewhere in upstate New York. The Avengers compound, then. 

  
He then spotted the cloak;, which was wrapped around Tony in such a way that made it look like a shy child hiding from their parent.    
  
Shaking his head minutely, he crossed his arms. "I'm all ears, Stark."

* * *

“I messed up. I’m gonna spare you the pity party, but I shouldn’t have spoken to you in that way. You and Pep were right - I wasn’t in my right mind to be doing any of that, and I threw a fit. You have been through so much, and it wasn’t right of me to bring you out of that hellscape just to dump my emotional bullshit on you,” Tony explained. He took a deep breath. “What I’m trying to say is this: I’ve come to care about you, and I am sorry that I messed that up so quickly.”

  
He looked away. He felt like this was bigger than he thought, and he wanted to shy away, but he didn’t spend two weeks on this just to run away. He looked back at Stephen.   
  
“I made a peace offering. If, uh... if you like the gloves, they’re yours. I renovated this room for you in case you’d ever consider coming back here. So you don’t have to sleep in a guest room.” He gestured to the gloves. “Try them on if you’d like.”

* * *

All Stephen's irritation at the situation melted away in light of the sincerity in Tony's voice. His crossed arms fell to his sides, and he looked around the room again in a new light. 

  
Stepping towards the table, Stephen looked back up at Tony, an almost-smile gracing his lips before he looked back down at the gloves waiting for him.    
  
"These are... interesting," he said, picking one up and examining it. "How did you do this?" He turned it around running his fingers along the material and the wristband before slipping them inside. It fit perfectly, almost like a second skin, and he marveled at how easy it suddenly was to flex his fingers.    
  
"Tony, these are amazing," he said, slipping on the other glove and holding out his hands, admiring them. He snapped his fingers, producing a shower of sparks as easily as breathing. He looked back up at Tony, his eyes sparkling. "You didn't have to do this."

* * *

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I did, actually,” Tony muttered. “I needed something to give you that meant something. And you can do... magic, so I had to find something only I could do. So I did science.”

  
He nudged the collar of the cloak. “And I’m sure you’d like to go home as well.” This was directed at the relic.

* * *

The cloak slipped off his shoulders almost dejectedly, moving until it was hovering between them. It hesitated a moment, even the fluttering of its fabric stilled, before flying into motion, wrapping itself around Tony's back and yanking him towards Stephen, winding its way around his waist as well until they were encased, chest to chest, in a smug red burrito. 

  
Stephen, for his part, managed not to scream in surprise. He stiffened as he suddenly found himself inches from Tony's face, pressed intimately against him, with his own cloak tying itself in knots to keep them together. _  
  
__Traitor,_  he thought at the cloak, though it couldn't hear him.

* * *

Tony, who was just as surprised as Stephen, turned completely red. Not much ever embarrassed him, so the shade of red he had turned was new for him.

  
“Um... hey,” he said with an awkward chuckle. “I didn’t tell it to do that... for the record.” His gaze flashed down to Stephen’s lips before he pointedly looked away and cleared his throat. “Does your cloak have an off switch?”   
  
He didn’t need to think about the fact that his voice had gotten just a bit higher.

* * *

Stephen caught the glance, and licked his lips before speaking up. "No, it's not like one of your gadgets. The Cloak of Levitation is a powerful and ancient relic, it doesn't just turn off." Huffing, he added pointedly "Though a trip to the laundromat down the street should be enough to shut it up for a bit." 

  
The cloak only squeezed tighter in response, jabbing him in the tailbone with one of its clasps.    
  
He winced, but the movement was enough to press him closer to Tony. His heart skipped a beat as he stared into the man's eyes, unsure of what to say.

* * *

“You know, I think I get what it wants, but only if you’re okay with it,” Tony suggested. He felt awkward, sure, but he’s needed affection lately. The cloak knew that. And he wasn’t able to deny to himself that he really did enjoy that kiss.

* * *

Yeah, that kiss was… something else, Stephen could agree. He shook his head fondly, wriggling enough to free his arm, and gently cupped Tony’s cheek. The material of his new gloves was so thin, so delicate that he could feel the man’s stubble through it as he brushed his thumb along Tony’s cheekbone, but he knew it was nowhere near fragile. 

  
His brow creased as he finally got a closer look at Tony’s face. “You’re exhausted,” he said, noticing the deep bags under his eyes, and how the stubble he’d been admiring looked more overgrown than usual. His thumb trailed lower, brushing against Tony’s chapped lips.    
  
“Let’s get some sleep,” he decided. “We’re both tired and overworked, and could do with a solid night’s sleep.” He flashed Tony a smirk filled with hidden meaning. “After that, we’ll talk.” 

* * *

Tony nodded - that sounded really good to him. “Are you gonna stay here for the night or...?” he asked, tilting his head just a bit.

* * *

Stephen smiled, caressing Tony's cheek again. "I would love to." 

  
He felt exhaustion weighing down on him and stifled a yawn. "This room truly is beautiful. Is it really for me?" The thought that Tony had renovated a room in the compound just for him made him feel warm inside, and his eyes fell to half mast as he stared warmly at Tony.

* * *

“Uh, yeah. It’s got its own bathroom and living room area with stuff for meditation,” Tony explained, pointing things out as best he can while still smashed against Stephen.

* * *

Nodding, Stephen hummed in thought. "Well, I guess this is goodnight then." 

  
He tried to pull away, but the stubborn cloak refused to let him go. It wound a little tighter instead.    
  
"Er, cloak?" Stephen said. "Please let us go. We reconciled. That's what you wanted, right?"    
  
Its only response was to shiver. _That's a no, then._ __   
  
He sighed. "You really are rather childish for an ages-old relic, you know." Sliding a hand up Tony's neck, he ducked his head down to capture Tony's lips in a chaste kiss.

* * *

Tony kissed back sweetly, smiling a bit into the kiss. He made sure to keep the kiss simple, and pulled back after a short time.

  
“I never thought I’d be forced by a sentient cloak to kiss and make up,” he said with a chuckle.

* * *

At some point, the cloak had slid off, leaving them pressed together by their own will. When the kiss ended, Stephen laughed. "Well, I never thought I'd find myself falling for Iron Man, and yet here we are." 

  
He brushed a lock of hair behind Tony's ear. "Nothing has to happen; in fact, I'd think it best if nothing _did_  happen, but..." he hesitated.    
  
"I'd like it if you stayed with me tonight. Just sleeping, nothing else, but I don't think either of us should be alone."

* * *

“Sounds perfect,” Tony responded, he detached himself from Stephen to walk to the bed, stretching slightly one he got there.

* * *

The cloak brushed against him as it floated past him, toward it's wardrobe. It thwapped Tony on the ass before disappearing quickly, the wardrobe rattling a moment before falling still. 

  
Stephen shook his head fondly and pulled off his new gloves, setting them reverently on the table. He went to the wardrobe and dug through the clothes side, ignoring his smug cloak and pulling out a pair of soft pajama bottoms.    
  
"I'm going to go change," he said, walking towards the bathroom door as he did so. "You, er, get comfortable?"

* * *

Tony nods awkwardly. Sure, physical contact is kind of his thing, and he does quite a bit of cuddling, but this felt different.

  
“Friday, can you send... I don’t know, Dum-e up with some pajamas?” he asks, waiting for an affirmative and for Stephen to leave before he tugs off his shirt. Dum-e arrives not long after with Iron Man pajamas, which he quickly changes into and gives Dum-e his day clothes.   
  
He gets Dum-e to leave without hosing anything down and goes to the bed, sitting on it.

* * *

Stephen braced his hands on the bathroom counter and took some deep breaths to calm himself. _It’s not that big a deal, it’s just sleep. It’s not like we’re consummating a marriage or anything, nothing is even going to happen. It’s just sleep. Calm the fuck down, Strange./_

  
He splashed some water in his face and dried it, watching himself in the mirror as he schooled his features into something resembling neutrality. Nodding to himself, he shucked off his clothes and threw on the pajama bottoms, folded his day clothes over his arm, and left the bathroom.    
  
The expression melted into one of shy fondness as soon as he laid eyes on Tony, sitting by himself in the middle of the large, four-poster bed and staring off into nothing. He dropped his clothes in the hamper next to the door, and sat down next to Tony.    
  
“You don’t have to look so scared, Tony,” he said softly. “I don’t bite… much.” 

* * *

“Just give me a warning before you do and we’re fine,” Tony said as he laid back and tried to relax. He hadn’t slept with anyone else in the bed with him for a while.

  
“So do wizards cuddle or do they float above the bed like this?” he asked as he straightened his body and crossed his arms over his chest like a corpse. He was trying to cover up his nervousness.

* * *

Stephen steeled his nerves and scooted up, tugging the blanket out from under Tony and draping over the two of them. “No, that’s ridiculous,” he chuckled. Moving slowly, unsure of himself and the reaction it might invoke, he bit the bullet and settled behind Tony, rolling him onto his side and wrapping an arm around his chest. “They cuddle with the people they like, just like any other person. Though they prefer to be the big spoon,” he whispered into Tony’s ear, tangling their fingers over his arc reactor.

* * *

Tony’s hand flinched when their hands touch the arc reactor. “Good thing, I’ve always liked being the little spoon.” He relaxed more than expected, though he did shift their hands away from the arc reactor.

* * *

Stephen nuzzled the back of his neck in apology, lightly pressing the knuckles of their entwined fingers to Tony’s warm stomach. He breathed in deeply, Tony’s musky scent calming him and making his eyelids droop. He shifted until their legs were tangled, feeling safer than he had in ages, and sighed. 

  
“Goodnight, Tony,” he murmured. 

* * *

“Good night, Stephen,” Tony mumbled before he drifted off, feeling protected, and safe.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jumping right into things
> 
> yum yum

Stephen awoke with a pleasant morning arousal thrumming through him, his hands caressing the skin of Tony's stomach underneath his shirt before he's even fully awake. He hummed happily, curling tighter around the warm body in his arms, chest pressed against Tony's back, knee between his thighs.    
  
He trailed his nose along the crook of Tony's neck, inhaling his scent again and kissing his shoulder lightly, his eyes drifting closed as his fingers traced sharp hipbones.

* * *

Tony awoke to the soft touches, and a soft hum escaped his lips. He pressed his hips backward instinctively, still slow and groggy.

  
“Morning,” he mumbled, tilting his head to give Stephen more of an expanse of skin to work with. He did always love when people give his neck attention.

* * *

Stephen yawned widely. "Morning." His voice was rough with sleep, already low timbre humming deep in his chest as he pressed a soft open-mouthed kiss to the skin of Tony's neck. 

  
His nails scratched lightly at Tony's hips, pulling him back against him harder, grinding against his ass lazily. His eyes had yet to open fully, instead opting to go by touch alone.

* * *

“How’d you sleep?” Tony asked, and his breath hitched with the grinding. He could definitely get used to waking up like this.

  
He reached down to place his hand over Stephen’s on his hip, gently interlacing their fingers but allowing Stephen to keep his grip.

* * *

"Better than I have in ages," he groaned, sliding their hands down, slipping beneath the waistband of Tony's pajamas. 

  
All flirting aside, it really had been better than he remembered sleeping in awhile. His memories of little things like that from before the snap were muddled, but afterwards, most nights had been filled with night terrors or blank nothingness, which was almost scarier than the actual nightmares. This one night with Tony was so calming, that even with the remnants of sleep pulling at his eyelids, Stephen felt invigorated.    
  
He pushed up on his elbow, hand still down Tony's pants, and kissed him languidly as he pushed their fingers through the curls at the base of his cock, squeezing gently.

* * *

Tony gave a soft moan. He didn’t do anything to speed up the pace, kissing Stephen slowly and with a softness that only comes with being tired.

  
He had slept amazing. Sure, a nightmare or two got through, but they faded as quickly as they came.

* * *

Stephen set a relaxed pace, thrusting against Tony's thigh while his hand moved in a similarly unhurried fashion. He broke the kiss, trailing his lips down Tony's neck, peppering him with nips and flicks of the tongue until he got to just above the arc reactor. 

  
He slowed, raising his head and glancing at Tony's face, his lips millimeters from the warm metal and a silent request for permission in his eyes. He didn't wish to make his partner uncomfortable, and he knew of all people of lines that didn't need crossing.    
  
So he waited.

* * *

Tony hesitated, but forced himself to remember that he’s wearing a shirt, so the thin layer of cloth was over the reactor. On top of that, Stephen had trusted him with his hands. So he nodded.

  
He used his free hand to brush his fingers gently through Stephen’s hair, wanting to return the small touches.

* * *

Stephen closed his eyes again, tilting his head into the touch. He touched his lips gently to the top of the covered arc reactor, the pressure barely there before he moved, pressing them to a different spot on it. He gently kissed his way around the heart of Tony Stark, never more than a flutter of pressure before he moved on. 

  
He removed his hand from Tony's pants, using it to instead slowly push up the material of his shirt, exposing his stomach. He stopped short of uncovering the arc reactor, and let his fingers trail down, barely brushing the skin underneath it before replacing them with his lips again.    
  
Tony's skin was warm and salty with sweat. Stephen moved to his left hip, nipping sharply with his teeth before soothing the bite with his tongue, running his hands along Tony's thighs until they were spread wide enough for him to shift and settle himself between them. Even through the thick material of the pajama bottoms, Stephen could feel the corded muscles of his thighs twitch at his ministrations, and he grinned.

* * *

“I could get used to this...” Tony whispered without really thinking. He gently wiped the hand that had been in his pants on his shirt before it joined the other in Stephen’s hair. He remained gentle.

  
“Hey, do you wanna go on a date sometime?” he asked, his voice rough as he watched Stephen. He let his legs settle open a bit wider to give Stephen room to work.

* * *

Stephen chuckled. "You say that like I'm not about to have your cock down my throat," he said, nosing through the curls above the waistband. He mentally cursed his shaking hands as they struggled to get a grasp on the material, but finally managed to slide them down enough to free Tony's erection. 

  
He looked up, meeting Tony's eyes. "For the record, I'd love to." Making sure he was watching, Stephen licked a hot stripe up the underside of Tony's cock, circling around the tip before taking him down almost to the base in one swallow.

* * *

Tony arched his back and his legs bend. He lets his head fall back as he gives a breathy moan and his hands tighten minutely in Stephen’s hair.

  
“I am sure they don’t teach you that in wizard school,” he breathed out, his sassy remarks never ending.

* * *

Stephen chuckled around Tony's cock, groaning when he felt his hair being pulled. He pulled off, pressing a hard kiss to the base, and managed to hoarsely say "No, just plain college worked well enough for that." 

  
His nails scraped along Tony's thighs as he dragged his pants down further, pulling away completely only long enough to yank them off and discard them somewhere over the edge of the bed before descending again, lips working at the sensitive head. He felt his own arousal pinned uncomfortably to the mattress, and he subconsciously started rutting to relieve the pressure.

* * *

“I’m really gonna have to... repay the favor here in a minute,” Tony breathed, his breath becoming more labored and soft noises falling past his lips more often.

  
He noticed that Stephen enjoyed the tugging, so he gave a soft pull to his hair.

* * *

Stephen had to pull off quickly before he clenched his teeth, growling. It sent a delicious spike of pleasure curling down his spine, and he forced himself to stop rutting on the bed before he came prematurely.   


  
All early-morning laziness gone, Stephen dragged himself up Tony's body, pressing his still-clothed erection to Tony's spit-slicked one as he kissed him deeply. He hiked one of Tony's legs up, giving him a better angle to thrust, and basically set about devouring his mouth.

* * *

Tony groaned into the kiss, and he used his grip in Stephen’s hair to hold him in place to kiss him more passionately.

  
He wrapped his legs around Stephen and pulled, grinding his hips upward into the other man’s.

* * *

Stephen kissed Tony like his life depended on it, like a man starved having found Paradise at long last. His hips snapped forward, the friction of his too-tight pants just this side of painful, the yank of Tony's fingers in his hair sending sparks dancing down his spine. 

  
He broke the kiss with a wet, obscene sound, immediately burying his face in Tony's neck. His teeth clamped down on the juncture of Tony's shoulder, working on making a dark mark that would take days to disappear, marking Tony as his and only his.    
  
"Let me fuck you," Stephen breathed, grabbing a handful of Tony's ass and squeezing hard. "Let me take care of you. I want to feel myself inside you, I want to make you feel good. Let me do this for you, Tony. Please."

* * *

Tony couldn’t find words for a moment, a low moan escaping his lips instead. “Yes, Stephen, please,” he breathed out, his words sounding pleading. “I trust you.”

  
He didn’t realize the weight of his words, but they felt entirely right to say.

* * *

Stephen felt the weight of the trust slam into him, filling him with an indescribable feeling. He kissed Tony hard, before pulling back and raising a hand to the air. 

  
Clenching his fist, golden runes flashed across his knuckles. He reached forward, plucking a bottle of lube from his nightstand in the Sanctum, halfway across the state, and felt it fall into his hand. The runes disappeared, and he winked at Tony.    
  
"Spatial displacement powers," he said by way of explaining. "Convenient when you don't want to stop to look for something."    
  


* * *

Tony gave a surprised but amused and airy laugh. “Convenient.” He then gripped his legs on the underside of his thighs next to his knees. He pulled his legs up to either side of his chest, showing off his flexibility.

  
“Does that give you enough room?” he asked, the position not seeming to strain him at all.

* * *

Stephen's teasing aura stuttered with his breath at the sight of Tony spreading himself so wide open for him. It was that extreme flexibility working its magic on him again. His mouth damn near watered at the sight. _Thank Vishanti for photographic memories_ , he thought, memorizing the way Tony looked, filing it away for a rainy day. 

  
"More than enough, darling," he said, the endearment slipping out before he could catch it.    
  
He dropped the tube on the bed beside him and rose to his knees, slipping his thumbs under the waistband of his pajama bottoms and sliding them down teasingly. The soft fabric felt like sandpaper against his sensitive arousal, but the show he was giving was worth the discomfort.

* * *

Tony shivered pleasantly at the endearment, and he watched hungrily as Stephen removed his pants.

  
“Have I mentioned yet that I think you’re incredibly hot?” Tony asked as he stared. His toes curled with the fresh wave of arousal that coursed through him.

* * *

Stephen chuckled, stopping when he had the pants only halfway off, the strain from his erection tenting the fabric lewdly. He trailed a hand up his chest, pinching one of his nipples before cocking his hip and dragging the hand back down, palm pressing against his cock. He was enjoying Tony's face as he felt himself up far too much. 

  
"Not in as many words, no," Stephen said, reaching past the waistband and pulling out his cock, giving a few tugs before sighing in a manner not entirely for show. "The way you look at me says enough."    
  
He popped open the lid on the lube, squirting some out into his hand and warming it in his palms as he kept speaking. "Even before things took a sharper turn in our relationship, I saw the glances you gave me. Before the snap, before things went bad."   
  
He leaned forward on his hands and knees, pressing a finger into the tight ring of muscle in Tony's ass. "I saw the way you looked at me when I demonstrated my power for you that first time. The way you undressed me with your eyes, even as the world was ending around us. You saw something you wanted, and you wanted it bad."

* * *

The look in Tony’s eyes betrayed that it was almost a mistake to mention the snap. Almost. Instead, he moaned as Stephen’s finger pushed into him

  
“What can I say, Doc? Always had a thing for men who can hold me down,” he responds. “Don’t think I don’t notice how much you like how flexible I am.”

* * *

"Oh, I like it _very much_ ," he said, internally cursing his slip but pushing past it. "And I plan on finding out just what your limits are." 

  
Slipping a second finger inside, he curled them upwards, thrusting shallowly a few times to get Tony used to the sensation. His body urged him to go faster, but he forced himself to be patient. He would make Tony hurt, but only in the best ways.    
  
"I'm going to make you forget yourself, Tony," he growled, crouching over Tony until their faces were inches apart. "I'm going to make you forget everything except the feeling of my name on your lips."   
  


* * *

“Think you’re up for the challenge?” Tony retorted, even as his face and the sound of his voice betrays just how much he’s enjoying this. He gripped his legs harder, wanting to wrap them around Stephen already to get him to finally fuck him.

* * *

"Always," was all Stephen said before he pulled his fingers out and lathered his dick with the last of the lube. 

  
Lining himself up, he flashed a smirk at Tony, his only warning before thrusting in to the hilt in one smooth motion.

* * *

“Fuck, Stephen,” Tony exclaimed, immediately latching his legs around Stephen’s waist, and he grabbed his shoulders to tug him down into a kiss.

* * *

The feeling was indescribable. Being surrounded by Tony, feeling every twitch and clench of muscle, his breath hot on Stephen's sweat soaked skin. He felt his magic thrumming under his skin, amplifying the pleasure he felt. He wanted Tony to feel it too, the way the sparks danced across his skin, alighting nerves and singing pleasure through every limb. 

  
"God, you're so tight," he grunted, breaking their kiss, feeling his control slipping. Golden sparks made their way to Tony through their contact, sinking into his skin and working their magic. He kissed Tony again, desperately, chasing the feeling building low in his gut.

* * *

Tony kissed Stephan hard, and he  gave himself some time to adjust before he tapped his heel on the sorcerer’s back to let him know he can move.

  
The sparks did do their job, his body shaking from how good it all felt, and he once again tangled his fingers in Stephen’s hair.

* * *

With that, Stephen set a brutal pace, clawing at Tony's hips to pull him impossibly closer as he thrust deeply into him. The world narrowed to nothing but the two of them, the feeling of slick skin on skin, the grunts and murmured nothings tumbling from Stephen's lips in an endless chatter. 

  
"You're so hot like this, spread out beneath me, tight and open and willing," he moaned between increasingly sloppy kisses. "Gonna bend you in half 'till you break, gonna make you scream. Gh, _Tony,_ I'm gonna make you see the universe tonight, I'll make you mine, mark you so the whole world can see."   
  
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he asked, nosing the hickey already red and sore on Tony's neck, hips never once slowing. "Being taken care of, being marked, being _owned?_ You think yourself the alpha dog, but you just love being put in your place."

* * *

Tony’s grip tightened in Stephen’s hair as he held on, each thrust punching moans and groans of unabashed pleasure out of him.

  
“Stephen yes, yes— I’m yours, _fuck—“_ He saw stars when Stephen nails his prostate, and he tossed his head back, temptingly baring his neck in the process.   
  
“Gotta make sure I can’t hide it— oh, fuck, _Stephen.”_ Tony would never admit how Stephen’s name turned into a whine and a plead as it fell from his lips.   
  


* * *

Stephen sank his teeth into the delicate skin of Tony's neck, picking a spot under the curve of his jaw, where it would be most visible. He licked and sucked, careful not to draw blood, but only just so. He wanted this mark to show, he wanted Tony to feel it weeks after the fact, to be reminded of what Stephen did to him every time he turned his head. 

  
He pulled back and admired his work. "Perfect," he hissed, feeling his silver eyes flash gold before he descended on Tony's mouth again.

* * *

Tony tugged on Stephen’s hair and kissed him hard as he felt the pleasure building and coiling in the pit of his stomach.

  
He began to be louder as he came closer to his orgasm.

* * *

Tony's cries were music to the sorcerer's ears, and as he felt Tony nearing the edge, he sped up. 

  
"Come for me Tony, I want to see you come for me." He pulled back and hauled Tony's legs up over his shoulders, bending his spine as far as it would go, folding him in half and pinning him to the bed with his own weight. He jackhammered in, feeling his own release sneaking up on him, and dug his nails into Tony's thigh to hold on a moment longer.    
  
"Come for me, dear," he whispered, bracing his forehead on Tony's shoulder. "Scream for me."

* * *

Tony cried out, _“Stephen!”_ He tightened his grip on the sorcerer’s hair and tightened his legs around his waist. He experienced the most intense orgasm he’s had in a while, maybe because of who he was with, maybe because of the magic Stephen had coursing through him.

* * *

Stephen felt Tony come, walls fluttering around his cock, and he held on just enough to memorize his face before he was tumbling over the edge as well, shouting himself hoarse as wave after wave of pleasure overtook him. His magic went haywire, winding around him tighter and tighter until it exploded out from them. 

  
There was a loud _pop!,_ and as Stephen slowly came down from his high, he realized every bulb in the room had shattered, showering the floor with glass.    
  
He couldn't find it in him to care, as he collapsed on his side next to Tony, arm thrown across his chest. "Oops."

* * *

Tony grinned and then began to laugh. “I can replace those later,” he said through his laughing. He seemed happier than he had been in a while.

  
“That was awesome,” he stated, looking over at Stephen with a grin.

* * *

Stephen was still trying to catch his breath. He glanced at Tony from under his eyelashes and smiled softly. 

  
"It was," he responded, chucking. He reached up and cradled Tony's cheek, pressing a soft kiss to the side of his head. "You were amazing, dear," he whispered into Tony's hair.

* * *

Tony practically purred at the pet name, seeming to really enjoy the sentiment. “As much as I would love to lay here forever, we should clean up...” he suggested, though he didn’t want to. Even as he suggested this, he cuddled closer to Stephen.

* * *

Stephen chuckled, and with a lazy wave of his hand, the mess between them vanished. He wrapped Tony up in his arms, pulling the blanket back over them from where it had been pushed away, and nuzzled back into the crook of his neck. 

  
"Done and done." Stephen wasn't planning on going anywhere for a minute, and neither was Tony if the sorcerer had anything to say about it.

* * *

Tony smiles, not commenting on how adorable Stephen is acting. He just pulls the taller man close.

  
“I give it ten minutes before Pepper starts looking for me to force me to eat breakfast.”

* * *

"Long enough for me." 


	10. Chapter 10

Eventually, Tony was informed that yes, Pepper was looking for him. He got up and looked around.   
  
“Hey, Stephen, think you can magic up some clothes for me?” He wasn’t walking quite so smoothly, as to be expected from their morning activities. “I need to go get some coffee.”

* * *

Stephen groaned petulantly as Tony got up. "I could, but I rather like the view as is," he grinned cheekily, admiring Tony's ass from his place on the bed. He propped his head up on one hand and let his eyes rove across his handiwork peppered across Tony's skin.

* * *

Tony rolled his eyes. “Unless you want Pepper Potts kicking down the door in a second, I’d say we should go get breakfast.”

* * *

"Mmm, fair point." Sighing like it was a great pain for him to do so, Stephen got up and stretched. 

  
He raised his hand as his discarded clothes from the previous day manifested on him, plucking a soft blue shirt and a pair of leggings from the air. He offered them to Tony wordlessly.    
  
The wardrobe flew open suddenly, and Stephen found himself with an armful of delighted red fabric. He stumbled, catching the cloak as it wound around him, inadvertently smothering him.    
  
"Yes, yes, good job matchmaking, you smug git," he grumbled, muffled by the fabric currently clinging to his face. "Drapes. I'm not kidding. I'll do it "

* * *

Tony laughed as he got dressed, walking over to pull Stephen into a hug. He felt rather comfortable in Stephen’s clothes, though they were a little big on him.

* * *

The cloak wound around the two of them again, much like it had last night, though now it was loose and happy. 

  
"What's the plan for breakfast?" Stephen asked as they pulled apart, the cloak letting go of them and settling on his shoulders. He picked up his new gloves and pulled them on as he spoke, still marvelling at how easy they made his movements.

* * *

“I’m getting some coffee and eating whatever Pepper feels like forcing me to eat,” Tony explained. “You’re welcome to join me.”

  
He seemed happy as he looked at Stephen, happy that he’s just there.

* * *

_Like a lovestruck fool, I am,_  Stephen thought, grinning dopily back at Tony. 

  
"I would be honored, Mr. Stark," Stephen said, offering his arm.

* * *

Tony smiled and took Stephen’s arm, leading him out to the hall and off toward the kitchen. As they passed doors, there were names on them, indicating who they belonged to.

  
Tony’s own room wasn’t in the same hall, and at the end of the hall was the kitchen and dining area.

* * *

Stephen watched the names pass, letting Tony lead him where he may. 

  
"You know, I am still interested in that date you mentioned," he said at one point, somewhat shyly avoiding Tony's eyes. "I don't know if it was something said purely in the moment or if you were serious, but my answer then is the same now."

* * *

“I would love to take you on a date. It is going to have to wait for a while, because I think I have a plan to fix the...” Tony cleared his throat. “...the snap.”

* * *

Stephen stopped. "What?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. You said you have an idea to fix half the universe?" He laughed. "This, I wanna hear."

* * *

“Well, from what Steve and Natasha have told me, the gauntlet Thanos used basically broke at the snap. He can’t use the stones. If we can find him and we have something that can temporarily wield the stones, then we can do our own snap and fix everything,” Tony explains. “So I looked into the old SHIELD database and did some research into the Tesseract’s energy signatures, I looked into the readings I got from you on the suit, I did some estimating, and I drew up some blueprints.”

* * *

Stephen's teasing smile dropped as the words sank in. "Wait, you're serious? You really did some thinking on this? I can't believe it." 

  
But even as the words left his mouth, his mind was racing, going over the possibilities and what this could mean. This was _big._   
  
"There's no way we could make something as advanced as the Gauntlet," he mused, mulling over their options. "Not with how behind Earth is compared to a lot of the rest of the universe. We're good, but not that good. However-" and this is where Stephen's eyes brightened. "We don't need it to be that powerful. We don't need it long term. We only need it once."

* * *

Tony nods. “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” he agrees. “I’ve sent a request to Wakanda for vibranium and I am going to start working on it tonight.”

* * *

Stephen grabbed Tony's shoulders, grinning like a maniac. "Tony, this is amazing! You may have single-handedly found a way to save the universe!" 

  
He pulled the other man to his chest, burying his nose in Tony's hair. "This is just amazing," he repeated, chuckling. "You really were the key to the one good ending."

* * *

“Oh, I think you had more of a hand in it than you think,” Tony responds. “You inspired me to not just give up. Besides, if you’re gonna get so excited, at least give me a kiss for my troubles.”

* * *

Without another word, Stephen swooped in and pressed a kiss to Tony's mouth. His affection for the man swelled inside him, needing an outlet, and he found himself lifting Tony off his feet and spinning them around. 

  
The ground disappeared beneath his feet and he was in the air, the cloak fluttering around them as they spun in the air. Stephen only pulled away to laugh, a genuinely joyful sound he hadn't had the energy to make in longer than he could remember.

* * *

Tony grinned momentarily before he saw they were floating and became nervous, clinging to Stephen. He tried not to show it, his heart fluttering happily with Stephen’s mood, but he did not like flying without his suit.

* * *

Stephen didn't realize that Tony's clinging wasn't entirely out of joy at first, continuing to spin them around until they touched down gently. He cupped Tony's face, pressing their foreheads together, and the smile dropped as he saw Tony's expression. 

  
"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling back. "What did I do?"

* * *

“I don’t like flying,” Tony admitted with a nervous chuckle and a sheepish expression. He seemed much more relaxed on the ground with Stephen.

* * *

Tracing the curve of his jaw, Stephen nodded. "I'm sorry, We won't do that again without your permission." He glared at his shoulder. "Will we?" 

  
The corner of the collar dipped, almost apologetically, then pulled forward to pat Tony's other cheek.

* * *

Tony chuckled, and he kissed Stephen happily. When he broke it, he said, “No need to apologize! I was really enjoying the celebration otherwise.”

  
Then, as he really couldn’t get enough, he kissed Stephen again. He really was very happy.

* * *

Chuckling into the second kiss, Stephen pulled Tony to his chest, sliding a hand into his hair and wrapping another around his waist. 

  
After a moment of this, he pulled away. "I'm getting all sort of attention, I feel honored. Are you always this affectionate, or am I just special?"

* * *

“I’m normally affectionate, but you’re pretty special,” Tony replied with a smile. “I don’t go renovating rooms and building special tech for just anyone.”

* * *

"I am truly honored, Mr. Stark," Stephen said, and laughed when a thought came to him. "I don't think Christmas gift-giving is going to be fair though, since you have all this tech and I can make sparkles. I'm gonna have to think of a different way to repay you."

* * *

“I think you being here with me is payment. Though, there are a few ways you can surprise me on Christmas,” Tony responded with a flirtatious smirk.

* * *

"Oh really?" Grinning devilishly, Stephen dragged his hands slowly down Tony's sides until they rested on his hips. He blinked, and the gloves he was wearing disappeared, having been teleported to the table in his new room. 

  
He kneaded Tony's hips, pulling him close. "Do share with the class, dear."

* * *

“I wouldn’t mind you using your... sparkles, did you call it? On me. And, well, I do love how you’ve redecorated my neck,” Tony explained, giving a soft chuckle. It had been so long since he was in this phase of a relationship. “Just to name a couple of ideas.”

* * *

"Mmm." Stephen's eyes darted down to his work. "Yes, it seems you're not the only one who's good at redecorating around here." 

  
He leaned down slowly, brushing his nose against the darkest mark under Tony's jaw, and delicately pressed a kiss to it. "Some of my favorite work, in fact."

* * *

“You’re welcome to add to it whenever,” Tony responded teasingly, enjoying this interaction so much that he had forgotten about breakfast. “Any time you would like, and I do mean _any.”_

* * *

Stephen's tongue darted out, tasting the skin above the bruise, knowing it was still tender but pushing the limits of how much was too much. His teeth skated along Tony's neck, using his nose to push his jaw up so he could taste his Adam's apple, pressing a kiss to the bob of it. 

  
"Be careful saying that," he murmured against Tony's neck, his lips whispering across the skin as he spoke. "I'll take advantage of it."

* * *

“I would do nothing but love it if you did,” Tony retorted playfully, knowing that he was as far from lying as he could get. “I want people to know I’m yours.”

* * *

Stephen hummed happily, eyes slipping closed as he peppered Tony's neck with delicate kisses. 

  
"Hmm, I think you would mind, though," he mused. "Because I would do it anywhere. Everywhere.   
  
"At meetings, when you least expect it. You'd be all alone, only to feel my hands running across your chest, around your back, touching you in places only I can, in ways only I am allowed." He demonstrated, dragging his hands down Tony's sides and under his shirt to massage the curve at the base of his spine.    
  
"You'd feel me there with you, and you'd have to keep a straight face in front of the crowd even as you felt my hand on your cock." He focused briefly, channeling his powers into touching Tony in places his physical hands weren't, grabbing his ass and sliding phantom fingers into his hair, cupping his neck as Stephen pulled him up for a kiss, sliding along his chest and teasingly close to his groin.    
  
He broke away, smirking. "Or we could go the pedestrian route, with me under your desk, between your knees, and you forced to suffer through meeting after meeting while I ate you out like a starving man."

* * *

Tony gave a soft moan deep in his throat. Perverted as the ideas were, he found himself wanting them too much for someone who was a public figure.

  
“Mm, if you’d do all that in public settings, what would you do in private?” he asked.

* * *

"All sorts of things, my dear," Stephen whispered, ducking his head until their lips were almost touching. He watched Tony's blissed expression, his own eyes hooded. 

  
"Whatever you wanted. You may be mine and only mine, but I am yours, forever and always, 'till the end of time."    
  
Even as he spoke the words, he felt he should worry. They had only been together such a short time, had only known each other not much longer,  but he felt the truth in the statement settle in his heart, binding him to Tony.    
  
It terrified him, how strong his feelings had grown, but as he moved those last few millimeters to capture Tony's lips, he decided he didn't care.

* * *

Tony felt his heart swell at those words, and he tangled his fingers into Stephen’s hair as he kissed him happily.

  
He hadn’t felt how he’d been feeling in so long, it was sort of scary to him. He knew, however, that he and Stephen had a bond, and that was what had connected them across dimensions.   
  


* * *

Stephen growled, slamming Tony into the wall next to one of the doors, holding him there by his hips and kissing him harshly. The phantom hands that had been roving across Tony's body almost lovingly started working in earnest, one of them scraping invisible nails down his bare back, another gripping the back of his neck to the point of pain, a pair of them hiking his legs up and around Stephen's waist, bringing him up to eye level, all while his physical hands held Tony still against the wall while Stephen rolled his hips against him. 

  
Stephen pulled away. The hand that was on Tony's neck moved, tracing his jawline up to his lips, pressing two fingers into his mouth while Stephen watched hungrily.

* * *

Tony made quiet noises that only Stephen would be able hear during all of this, and when the fingers were put in his mouth, he instinctively began to suck.

  
The reason they left the room was so far out of his mind at this point - he just wanted Stephen to carry him back so they could spend all day there together.

* * *

Stephen moaned, the sensation of Tony's mouth around his fingers, even if they were only phantom limbs, like heaven to him. His real hands twitched on Tony's hips, pulling him, grinding harder. 

  
There was the sound of footsteps rounding a corner behind them, a startled "Hey!" followed by fabric billowing wildly, a muffled shout, and a door slamming.    
  
It was enough to startle Stephen into nearly dropping Tony, all phantom limbs disappearing as his head whipped around. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get me a shirt that says 'I LOVE PEPPER POTTS'

Pepper was exasperated. She had called Tony multiple times to come get food, but every call was declined and Friday claimed he wasn't in his room. She claimed he was in the guest room he'd been renovating, where he'd conveniently muted the AI's speakers, and Pepper knew without a doubt /why/.    
  
She still worried about him, and more specifically how fast his relationship with the Doc was developing, but he was a grown man and could do what he wanted for all she cared.    
  
So long as he ate once in a goddamn blue moon.    
  
So she found herself headed down the hall from the kitchen, about to turn the corner, when she heard a muffled moan from the hallway. Fearing what she was about to walk into, she kept walking.    
  
Pepper only got a glance of the two making out against the wall before Dr. Strange's weird cloak, which had been floating awkwardly off to the side, seemed to spot her. It flew to her in a rush, wrapping itself around her head in an attempt to cover her eyes and dragging her into one of the spare rooms.    
  
She struggled to pry the stubborn fabric off, glaring at it when she did. "Hey!" she growled again. "Hands off, buster!"    
  
The cloak made a cutting motion across where a throat would be if it were being worn, the corners of the fabric frantically miming a shushing motion as it 'looked' back at the door.    
  
Ignoring it, she pushed past the floating cape and threw open the door, meeting Stephen's deer-in-the-headlights look, Tony still pinned to the wall.    
  
She crossed her arms. "Seriously?"

* * *

“I was on my way. I just got distracted,” Tony commented with a shrug. “What’s for breakfast?” Often, when Tony felt embarrassed, he would be overly casual about the situation.

  
He put his feet back on the ground as he cleared his throat, one hand coming up to rub his neck awkwardly.

* * *

Stephen's eyes shot to Tony, wondering how he could act so casual when Stephen himself was mortified at the situation. He was still sporting an erection as Tony dropped to the ground, which he tried vainly to cover to no avail. 

  
The cloak, which had been peeking over Pepper's shoulder, shot to him and wrapped around him in such a way that managed to conceal his embarrassment. Too little, too late, but he flushed at the attempt.    
  
"Er, hello Miss Potts," he said, clearing his throat and avoiding her accusatory gaze. "We were just heading there." He mimicked Tony's awkward pose without thinking, his cheeks stained as red as the robe that was shivering in laughter around him.    
  
Pepper watched the two of them acting like children caught in the cookie jar, and finally sighed.    
  
"What am I going to do with the two of you?" she asked, shaking her head. "Tony, go get some food before you collapse. I need to talk to Strange for a minute."

* * *

“Aye, aye,” Tony responded awkwardly before he all but ran off to the kitchen area, his embarrassment showing in how quickly he booked it out.

* * *

Stephen was still determinedly not meeting Pepper's eyes as Tony ran off. The cloak squeezed tighter as she turned to look at him. 

  
There was silence for a long moment before she spoke, startling Stephen with the ferocity in her voice.    
  
"I know it's none of my business, and Tony and I have already cleared the air," she began. She took a step forward, forcing him to take a step back, continuing this way until he felt the wall against his back. It was interesting how much a woman three inches shorter than him managed to make him feel small.    
  
It was also terrifying. Very, very terrifying.    
  
"However," she continued, her eyes radiating a fire that was so powerful Stephen wondered if she'd studied at Kamar Taj at some point. "If you dare hurt him, or do anything to cause him distress in any way, I will hunt you down to the ends of this world and any other you flee to." She jabbed him in the chest with one manicured fingernail. "You may have your magic tricks, but I know Tony's access codes. He may not be an arms dealer anymore, but I know where he stores his old toys."    
  
She leaned in, her voice lowering until Stephen had to strain her hear her.    
  
"And I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty."    
  
She backed up suddenly, the dark expression falling from her face and being replaced by a sunny smile.    
  
"Nice talking with you!" she said, all traces of her threat gone. "Let's go get some breakfast, I'm starving."    
  
She offered her arm to the sorcerer, and Stephen slipped his arm in hers, stunned by the whiplash of moods as she led him down the hallway to where Tony was waiting in the kitchen.

* * *

Tony was chugging a cup of black coffee, and he had a cookie on a plate with him. He set the mug down, and he glanced at Pepper and Stephen.

  
“So, death threats?” he asked casually as he took a bite of the cookie.   
  


* * *

Pepper laughed airily. "Don't worry about it. Nothing like a little death threat between friends, right Stephen?" She squeezed his arm to the point of pain, her grin never leaving. She was enjoying this.   
  
Stephen flinched and nodded mutely. He was still recovering from seeing his life flash before his eyes.   
  
"Tony, you should... eat something," he said in a distant voice.

* * *

Tony was too busy laughing at the interaction. “Pep, you’ll have nobody to make death threats to if you give him a heart attack now. He set his cookie down and walked over and gently pried Pepper’s hand off of Stephen.

  
“Come sit down, both of you,” he said as he took Stephen’s hand and squeezed it comfortingly before leading him to the table. He basically ignored Stephen telling him to eat real food.   
  


* * *

Pepper waved them off with a smile and sat down at the table, where she'd already set up some food. "I'll always have you to threaten, don't worry," she said as she scooped some eggs and bacon onto her plate. 

  
Stephen sat on Tony's other side and begun loading up his plate as well. He hadn't realized how hungry he was, but as the smell of Pepper's cooking assaulted him, he realized he was ravenous.    
  
"Thank you for the food, Miss Potts," he said between bites, covering his mouth so as to be polite. "It's delicious."    
  


* * *

Tony loaded his plate - mainly to placate Pepper - and proceeded to not eat immediately. “Pepper, did I tell you about my plan?”

  
Bruce walked in to get something to eat for himself, and seemed to get a bit nervous when he saw that Stephen Strange was there, too. He walked to the table. “Um... good morning.”

* * *

Stephen looked up from his plate. "Hello, Dr. Banner." 

  
He noticed his presence seemed to be making the man uneasy, so he smiled to seem unthreatening. "Come join us. Pepper made food, and we were just about to start talking about this ingenious plan Tony's been developing."   
  
Pepper brightened at her friend's entrance. "Yeah, grab a plate, come sit with us!" she said, patting the place at the table next to her a little too enthusiastically. "Tony, eat and talk. I'm jazzed to hear it, but you need something other than coffee in you."    
  


* * *

Tony gave a smirk, ready to make a joke about Pepper’s wording but he decided against it.

  
“I’ve got some blueprints for something we could use to hold the Infinity Stones temporarily, long enough to reverse the damage Thanos caused. I’ve got vibranium to use for it and I’m going to superheat the metal and treat it with energy similar to the signatures I have for some of the stones,” he explained, taking a bit of food before and after.   
  
Bruce had sat as he listened, and once Tony was done, he added, “And we could take a look at the compound that made up Vision to see what we could add to better contain the energy coming off of the stones just long enough to get everything reversed. How are we going to find Thanos? Oh, do we have an idea of where he might have gone? You and I could develop a scanner that searches for his DNA signature.”   
  
Conversation between him and Tony was always easy.   
  


* * *

Stephen watched their back and forth, bouncing ideas off of each other and building upon each subsequent idea, and couldn't help but feel a little jealous. It was obvious the two men had been friends for a long time, with the way they seemed to know what the other would think before he said it and would continue on that new train of thought. 

  
He looked down at his plate, trying not to let his emotions show. It was unreasonable. He'd only known Tony for a little while, after all, and even though they clicked easily, it took years to build up that sort of relationship with someone. He picked at his toast, suddenly not as hungry anymore.    
  
Pepper was watching the two with a big smile on her face as she ate, having missed this easy banter and the way Tony smiled when he was talking with someone on his level. She was intelligent, but it was hard to match her best friend's mind sometimes. She was glad he had Bruce, and knew that if the two of them wanted to rule the world someday, far be it for her to stand in their way.    
  
She glanced over at Dr. Strange, who was staring at his plate intently. He made no move to join the conversation, despite having obviously been into it not a few minutes before.    
  
She frowned, then had an idea.    
  
"Hey guys," she said, bringing their attention to her. "You might could also use Strange's magic for this thing, whatever it is. You said it needs to be able to contain and channel the energy of the stones? He has experience with one, and I'm sure if you integrated his magic with your science, it could help stabilize it more."

* * *

“Of course we’re gonna need Stephen. Bruce and I are more on the inorganic side of science. We’ll definitely need his opinion as a doctor and his abilities as a wi— sorcerer,” Tony explained, taking Stephen’s hand as a sort of apology for leaving him out.

  
“Yeah. Do you have any ideas on how we can find some of Thanos’ DNA?” Bruce asked Stephen.   
  


* * *

Pepper turned to look at Stephen as well, eagerly waiting to hear what he thought. She reached over and covered Bruce's hand with her own almost without thinking, excited at the prospect of saving the galaxy. 

  
Stephen smiled and squeezed his hand in thanks.    
  
"No clue on the DNA thing," he said. "He didn't leave anything here, and the galaxy is too wide to search without it."    
  
He frowned, thinking. "But maybe we won't have to use DNA, which is unreliable at best in a universe full of different races. Maybe we could use something else."    
  
Stephen started talking faster as the idea formed. "The Infinity Stones are the most powerful artifacts in existence. Tracking them individually is a little difficult, especially since they're so good at hiding themselves. But when they're all in one place, they give off a signature more powerful and distinct than anything else in this dimension or most others. "   
  
He looked to Tony, grinning widely. "If we could build a scanner of some sort that's designed to hone in on the most concentrated power in the vicinity, I could use my magic to boost its range wide enough to cover more ground. Working together with that and Thor acting as our interstellar Uber, we can find him in no time!"    
  


* * *

“See? There’s a reason I keep you around,” Tony joked, but he seemed genuinely happy about including Stephen in the plan.

  
“This all starts with me finishing my design, so I should work on that ASAP.”   
  
Bruce noticed Pepper’s hand on his and blushed slightly. He hadn’t expected that.

* * *

Pepper grinned at the three of them. "Absolutely. But first: everyone clears their plates. There will be no hungry workaholics in this house, and that includes you, Tony," she said, pointing her fork at Tony with her free hand. She released Bruce's hand and stood with her empty plate, heading to the sink and snagging Strange's similarly-cleared plate as she went. 

  
Stephen stood, following Pepper to the sink. "Please, let me help," he offered, summoning his gloves and crooking a finger. Golden magic surrounded the dishes in the sink, floating them into the dishwasher. The ones in Pepper's hands went too, plucked neatly into the air and settled into the dishwasher without so much as a rattle.

* * *

Tony, as soon as Pepper wasn’t looking, swiftly put a good amount of his food back. He looked at Bruce and whispered, “If you tell on me, you lose lab privileges for two months.”

  
He then wolfed down what little remained and stood. He brought his dish to the sink.   
  
  
Bruce didn’t know how to respond, so he ate the rest of his own food and followed. He reached out to try to touch the golden magic.   
  
“This is interesting...”

* * *

Stephen smiled at Bruce's curiosity and extended his hand to the man, letting his magic swirled around his fingers. "This is only the barest minimum of what I can do. I'd love to show you sometime. What do you feel like a trip around the world? You'd need to clear about, oh, ten minutes for it, but I'm sure we could hit the highlights." 

  
He sent some of the magic swirling around Bruce, harmless but pretty. The cloak lifted off his shoulders and followed suit, though it quickly lost interest in Bruce and wrapped itself around Tony's shoulders instead.    
  
  
Pepper watched her boys with a soft smile, hands in her pockets as she leaned against the counter.    
  


* * *

“Okay, but why me?” Tony grumbled to the cloak. He smiled, though, at the relic’s insistence on being with him.

  
“Pepper, this is really cool, isn’t? I know you’ve seen it a few times, Tony, but it’s so cool!” Bruce couldn’t help nerding out about the magic around him.

* * *

The cloak brushed it's collar against Tony's face in a faux-flirty gesture. 

  
"Traitor," Stephen grumbled good naturedly, before turning back to Pepper and Bruce.    
  
"We should get to work, the sooner the better," he said. "Reversing what's happened might have dire consequences, but the longer we wait, the slimmer our chances will be to set things right will be."    
  
  
Pepper nodded. "He's right. Let's get this started. Let's save the world."

* * *

“That means I’m off to the lab. I’ve got some vibranium to work with,” Tony stated, and he exited the kitchen.

  
“I ought to go help start drawing up the blueprints for the scanner. Hey, Pepper, can you debrief Strange on handling Tony’s lab and workaholic behaviour?” Bruce asked Pepper as he started to back out of the room.

* * *

"Gladly," Pepper responded with a wicked grin. She grabbed Stephen's arm again and started pulling him toward the elevator. "Come on, Doc. Girls' day out; were getting our nails done and talking about boys, and you're gonna have to deal with it." 

  
Stephen blanched. He shot a pleading look at Tony's back, helpless as Pepper guided him out, but missed him. His cloak, still hanging off Tony's shoulders, waved goodbye as they swished out of the room.    
  
He resigned himself to more emotional torture in his near future.


	12. Chapter 12

Tony arrived in the lab, and he sat down and immediately got to work. He pulled up his blueprints, the hologram projecting it into the room around him. “Friday, put on Chop Suey, 50% volume.” The song came on, not at the usual volume he would have it at (deafening), but just quiet enough to where him and Bruce could talk.   
  
-   
  
“Hey, Tony, I’m gonna start drawing up the blueprints for the scanner,” Bruce said, raising his voice just a bit to be heard. He didn’t exactly listen to Tony’s taste in music much, but it wasn’t his lab, so it wasn’t his choice.   
  


* * *

Outside the compound, Pepper spoke into her phone for a minute. Not too long after, a black sedan pulled up, the sunglasses-wearing driver stepping out to open the back door for them. 

  
They climbed in, Pepper gave the driver an address, and they were off.    
  
Silence dominated the backseat until they pulled out of the Avengers compound, setting down a long stretch of highway towards the city. Stephen was regretting letting Pepper pull him along, wondering what she had in mind to grill him about, when she finally spoke.    
  
"I really do worry about him," she said, staring out the window at the trees passing them by.    
  
She didn't say anything else, so Stephen took that as an invitation to speak up.    
  
"Me too," he responded. "But he has us, and Bruce, and doubtless many others. It will be hard, but he'll be okay."    
  
Pepper finally looked at him, and for the first time, her eyes weren't filled with anger, or playful malice, or even the teasing glint they'd had earlier. They were soft, and happy.    
  
"I'm glad he has you," she admitted, reaching up and touching the locket at her neck. Stephen had noticed the golden 'Best Friend' inscribed on it and took a guess at who it came from, but had wisely kept silent.    
  
"I still don't know much about you, but if he looks at you like that, and you look at him like that, you can't be all bad." She pointed a finger at him. "My threat still stands, but I'll take a chance with you, Strange."    
  
She smiled, and Stephen found himself mirroring it.    
  
"Stephen," he said after a moment.    
  
"What?"    
  
"You can call me Stephen." He ducked his head. "If I might, Miss Potts, I would like you to call me Stephen."    
  
Pepper giggled. "Alright, but you need to quit all this 'Miss Potts' stuff then. Pepper's fine."    
  
"It would be my honor, Pepper."

* * *

“Hey, Bruce?” Tony asked, not looking up. He scowled at a particular part of the blueprint. “Do you know much about Stephen?”

  
Bruce glanced up. He scowled. “No more than you. I’ve read stuff about him medically. He got in an accident and lost everything, money included. Why?”   
  
Tony sighed, “Because I’ve been really wrong about people before, Bruce. I don’t think he would be with me just for money, but I can’t even count how many people have pretended just for the money or the power. I may be a genius, but I’ve never worked out how to see people for who they really are...”   
  
Bruce frowned at this. “Tony Stark, you’re a good person. As your friend, I can safely say anyone would be lucky to have you.”   
  
“What if he realizes he doesn’t love me?” Tony responded, barely loud enough to be heard over the music.   
  
“Friday, take the volume down to 5%. Tony, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. None of this was your fault. You need to talk to people about all of this,” Bruce tried to get through to him. It didn’t work.   
  
“Friday, volume up to 100%,” Tony said with a sense of finality. He clearly did not want to talk any more.   
  
Bruce, meanwhile, sent a text to Pepper, “Tony’s thinking too much again. Talking is not going well. Don’t expect him to leave the lab tonight.”

* * *

Pepper broke eye contact with Stephen as her phone went off. She opened the text from Bruce as they arrived at the main city, sighing as she tapped out a response, "Heard. I'll try when Stephen and I get back, but for now just stay with him. Thanks <3" 

  
"What's wrong?" Stephen asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.    
  
"Nothing," she responded, staring tiredly at her phone. "Tony's just being... Tony. Like he does." As they pulled up to the salon she had in mind, she slipped her phone back into her pocket. The driver came around and opened the door for them, nodding as they exited. She gave him orders to come back in a couple hours and led Stephen inside.    
  
Stephen, meanwhile, was worrying about Tony. He didn't get a chance to voice his worries, though, as he was almost immediately assaulted by the sounds and smells of one of the most high-end salons in New York City.    
  
"Welcome to the Allure Day Spa!" the cheery receptionist said.    
  
\-    
  
The cloak shuddered and curled tighter around Tony's shoulders. His distress was radiating from him, and though the relic's power lay somewhere else, it was empathetic to its wearer's emotional state. It didn't like that Tony was hurting, so it did the only thing it knew to make him feel better.    
  
It hugged him, wrapping it's heavy fabric around his chest and shoulders, being mindful of leaving his arms free to work.    
  
Not for the first time in many years, the Cloak of Levitation wished it could communicate with its wearers, to console Tony. To let him know Stephen did feel for him.

* * *

Tony patted the cloak gently, the hugging helping somewhat, but as predicted, he was thinking too much. He tried to focus his mind on the task, but it only made him start thinking of Peter.

  
He didn’t even check to see if May was alive. He should’ve. He owed that, at least, to the kid. He needed to get this equipment done as soon as possible. He needed to bring Peter back.   
  
Across the room, Bruce could sense the conflict in Tony. He was about to speak up, but he realized that Tony might not take too kindly to him turning down his music again. So he waited.   
  
Eventually, Tony had Friday take the music down to 30% so he could ask Bruce, “Could you look into the alloy used to make Vision’s body?”   
  
“Got it,” Bruce responded as he moved to another computer.   
  
“Hey, don’t worry,” Tony muttered to the cloak, low enough for Bruce not to hear. “I mean... I don’t know if you can worry, but if you can, don’t.”

* * *

The cloak reached up with the corner of its collar, pressing against Tony's cheek comfortingly. It readjusted itself so it was hugging his neck more than hanging off his shoulders. One of its metal clasps tapped on his collarbone with the tempo of the music. 

  
-   
  
The ladies at the salon bustled around them, shoving teas and snacks in their hands and pushing them through doors, talking so fast that before Stephen knew it, he and Pepper were seated side by side in plush chairs, their feet soaking in a warm bath carved from volcanic rock, an attendant at each hand.    
  
"I've signed us up for a mani-pedi and massage," Pepper said in way of explanation, laughing at Stephen's overwhelmed and vaguely uncomfortable expression as his attendant peeled off his gloves and set them carefully on a side table. "You look like you could use the stress relief, and your nails definitely need the attention, too."    
  
At Stephen's continued confused silence, Pepper sighed. "Look, I needed a break. We both do. We all do, really, but Tony and Bruce destress differently than me, and I don't think getting tinnitus and covered in grease is your idea of calming."    
  
Stephen nodded. "Fair. I just haven't done this in awhile. Not since my, er, accident."    
  
"Ah." Pepper had almost forgotten that before he was Sorcerer Supreme, he was Dr. Stephen Strange, one of the most famous neurosurgeons in the world. "I'm sorry."    
  
"It's okay," Stephen responded. "I'm just not used to people paying such close attention to my hands."    
  


* * *

“So. You like Pepper?” Tony asked casually, and Bruce choked on basically nothing. Tony went on, “Yes, as in romantically, before you ask.”

  
“Um— I don’t— I mean, she’s pretty, and she’s a really strong woman...” Bruce stuttered, almost choking on his embarrassment. He blushed.   
  
“So I’m gonna take that as a yes. Got any plans to make a move?” Tony asked.   
  
“Tony! Of course not! I mean, where are you even getting all of this from?” Bruce responded, and Tony smirked.   
  
“Maybe from the way you get all flustered when she talks to you? Or when she held your hand?” the billionaire teased.

* * *

The two of them settled into a near-comfortable silence as their nails were trimmed and soaked. The ladies attending them kept up a constant amiable chatter, but they didn't pressure either to respond. 

  
After a time and a few refills on the tea, their nails were left to dry while the attendants started work on their feet.    
  
"I'm gonna go ahead and warn you," Pepper said out of the blue, having been thinking for awhile. "Tony's in one of his trademark moods, so he's gonna be out of it for a bit."    
  
Stephen hadn't had much of a chance to get to know that side of the man, so he was confused. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. "You know him better than me, what does he need?"    
  
"Space, mostly," Pepper admitted. "Usually, we leave him alone to work himself to exhaustion, force him to eat occasionally, and he emerges a week later with a brand new invention. Then he passes out for twenty-four hours, and we're back to normal."    
  
She hesitated. "But this time, I don't think that'll work." She trailed off, a distressed expression on her face.    
  
Stephen asked "Why?"    
  
"Because... It has to do with you."    
  
-   
  
The cloak lifted its 'head', interested in this turn of events. It shifted to one of Tony's shoulders, propping the edge of its collar up with a fold, looking for all the world like a teenager awaiting the latest gossip.

* * *

Bruce looked at the cloak, pure confusion in his eyes. “Why is it doing that?” he asked, sounding a little spooked.

  
Tony gave a chuckle. “Never mind that. You’d be good for Pepper. Her and I - we never worked out being anything more than friends. That was better for us. You’re not like me. You’re more open - don’t deny it - and you won’t worry her to the point of near-hatred. I approve.”   
  
Bruce was shocked into silence for a moment, but then he started, “Now, I didn’t say—“   
  
“Just say yes and thank you,” Tony interrupted, sounding almost warning.   
  
“Yes, thank you,” Bruce muttered.   
  
“Good. Anyway. You seem like someone who doesn’t ruin all of your personal relationships,” Tony stated.   
  
“Tony, you don’t either,” Bruce protested, only to be met with Tony turning the volume back up.   
  


* * *

The cloak whipped over to Bruce and wrapped him in a hug, briefly lifting him off the ground in a spin of joy before setting him down and disappearing to Tony's shoulder again. It felt Tony's happiness seeping into its fabric. 

  
And then the feeling disappeared, and Tony was shutting down again. The cloak mentally sighed; back to square one.    
  
-   
  
Stephen went on the defensive immediately. "Are you on about that again I thought we cleared that up and made amends."    
  
Pepper shot up, waving her hands. "No, no, that's not what I meant. You're doing fine, you're doing everything you know to do right now." At a chastising word from the nail lady, Pepper sheepishly replaced her hand.    
  
"It's not your fault," she said. "It's just, Tony has this thing about relationships. He thinks he's not good at maintaining them, and that whenever something goes wrong, it's his fault. Now, sometimes, he does have a hand in making things weird, but he's started taking it as an irredeemable fault of his character."    
  
Stephen didn't seem to be following. Pepper sighed. "Look, long story short, he's not in a good head space right now and even though he's absolutely going to try to push you away, he needs you. He needs you to be there for him and constantly let him know that you do care about him, despite how shitty he's acting. He cares, he's just not good at showing it long-term."    
  
Stephen nodded. "I understand. I'm new to this too, to be honest. I'm not exactly confident I'm doing it right, but I _am_  confident that we'll make it through this so long as we stick together."    
  


* * *

Tony gave a sigh, distractedly piecing together bits of plastic into the shape of a crown, what he decided to use to house the stones.

  
“Friday, get a mold mixture going. Has to be able to hold molten vibranium,” he ordered the AI.   
  
Bruce kept drawing up rough blueprints for the scanner, still a bit dazed from the happy assault from the cloak.   
  
“Hey, uhh... cloak? Could you come here?” he called over the music. He had an idea.

* * *

The cloak perked up, distracted from its idle tapping. It floated over curiously, wondering what the ruffled scientist could want from it. 

  
-  
  
Pepper smiled in relief. "Absolutely. We're in this together, whether you like it or not."   
  
Stephen mirrored her grin and settled back into his chair, content.   
  
Though he did make a mental note to do something special for Tony, and to call Christine when he got a chance. He needed her advice, and she deserved to be updated on recent events.   
  
Including, he realized in horror, the fact that he was back from the dead.   
  
_He forgot to tell her_.

* * *

“Okay, here’s the plan. I feel like I’m going insane...” Bruce started, momentarily distracted by the fact that he was talking to a cloak. “Anyway. You stay with Tony. I’m gonna give him alone time, but I’m gonna leave this here.” He set down a tablet, and it was open to a random notes screen.

  
“Do you know anything about the English language?” he asked.

* * *

Brightening at the idea, the cloak bobbed in a nodding motion. It floated over to the tablet, raising the tip of its material and hovering over the screen. It hesitated, then slowly went about typing something out. 

  
/ _Greetings, Dr. Banner_ ,/ it typed, flicking its collar in amusement. _I find it insulting that you assume I know nothing of human languages, when I have been around far longer than most forms of modern English have existed._   
  


* * *

“Alright, that’s great. Anyway, I just wanted you to update Pepper and I on his condition. I have the same document open, and I can see what you type,” Bruce added. He held up his phone, which showed exactly that. “Can I call you Levi or something? It feels weird calling you cloak.”

* * *

The cloak considered it. It hadn't taken a name in so long. Usually its wearer would give it a title, something honorary and grand, befitting of its power, which would stick until the next sorcerer came around and renamed it. It had never taken a nickname so casual. 

  
Though, it found it didn't mind. It should probably shake things up every century or so, anyway.    
  
The cloak- Levi, bobbed again in affirmative. 

* * *

“Alright, Levi, just... look out for him. He’s really self-destructive. He needs someone or... something,” Bruce added. “I’ll be doing the blueprints. See ya.” He then stood, and left.


	13. Chapter 13

Some number of hours later, Stephen stood alone outside the New York Hospital and took in a deep breath. He had explained what he needed to do to Pepper, who seemed understanding. She dropped him off and went on her way back to the compound with the knowledge that Stephen could easily make it back on his own.    
  
"Good luck," she'd said before the car pulled away.    
  
Well, he was really counting on that luck right about now. Amidst all the chaos and confusion when he'd first gotten back, Stephen had forgotten one _very important_  thing: to let Christine know he was alive and well, and not a victim of Thanos's deadly snap (any longer, at least).    
  
He let out his breath and pushed open the front door, striding in as if he owned the place. He nearly had, at one point. But that chapter in his life was long closed, so he went to the receptionist and asked for Christine Palmer.    
  
After tapping away at her computer for a moment, the woman said 'You're in luck, she just got out of surgery. Her shift will be over soon. I'll leave her a message that you're waiting for her in the front, mister...?"    
  
"Strange, Doctor Stephen Strange," Stephen corrected automatically. "Thank you."    
  
He went to one of the waiting chairs to sit, and started his mental countdown to his death.

* * *

Around ten minutes later, Christine Palmer stormed into the (luckily mostly empty) front room, directly to Stephen. Immediately, she slapped him across the face.

  
“I thought we were past this! I work my ass off for you every time you magic your way into the hospital, and not even a phone call? Half of the world is dead, Stephen. Half. You could have at least called,” she ranted, starting off angry but as she went on, she lost steam and became simply upset.   
  
“I was so worried. I’ve had people bringing in piles of dust that were once their loved ones, and every time, I wondered if it was you.”

* * *

Stephen touched his stinging cheek, then before he could think too hard about it, he swooped Christine up in a tight hug. 

  
"I'm so sorry," he murmured into her shoulder. "You're right, I should have called. I just-"    
  
He knew he should tell her he _was_  one of those piles of dust, at least for a little bit, but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't do that to her, he'd already hurt her enough.    
  
He sighed. "Things got so busy after the attack. There was a lot of cleanup, a lot of work to be done. I got caught up in it all, and it slipped my mind."    
  
He pulled her tight against him, hoping she could understand just how much he regretted what he did. "I'm sorry, Christine."

* * *

Christine sighed, and after a moment, returned the hug. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” After a bit of hugging, she noticed something was less weird about Stephen.

  
“Where’s your cloak thing?” she asked, wanting to talk about anything other than piles of people dust.

* * *

Stephen laughed, glad the tension was broken. "It's not a 'cloak thing', it's the Cloak of Levitation, and where it is is sort of the reason I'm here. Of course, after letting you know I'm okay." 

  
He cleared his throat awkwardly, knowing she wouldn't like what he was about to say. "See, I've been staying with, er, Tony Stark lately, working on a way to fix the damage Thanos caused. And..."   
  
He swallowed thickly. Here goes. "We might... be... dating...? AndIneededyourhelpfiguringoutwhattodobecausehe'shurtingandI'mnotgoodwithemotionsandyouknewthatalreadysowillyouhelpmebeagoodpartnerandhelphimplease," he said all in one breath, hoping that if he got it out all at once she wouldn't hit him again. _Fat chance, genius_.

* * *

Christine’s hand flew up to pinch Stephen’s ear painfully. “Did you. Just say. You are _dating Tony Stark?_ ” she asked slowly, making it clear she was not happy.

  
“The man who single-handedly tore apart the Avengers? Who advocated for the Sokovia Accords? Who’s slept with more women than I even have met in my life? Need I go _on?_ ” she asked. It had never been a secret that she didn’t like Tony Stark. She didn’t hesitate to share every time someone brought him up or she saw him on another newspaper or magazine.

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow," Stephen stammered, head ducking awkwardly to Christine's level as he tried to relieve the painful pressure on his ear. 

  
"Look, I know it sounds bad but he and I really connected during the battle! And that also sounds bad- _ow, ow_ \- but I swear this is a real thing and he's different than the tabloids say and he's changed since the incident two years ago and _Christine please let me go this really hurts I'm sorry please let me go._ "

* * *

Christine let go with a huff. “How long have you known him for? You know, they call him a player for a reason. He plays people.”

  
She crossed her arms. “No matter how bad of a friend you are, I still don’t want to see you get caught in Stark’s trap.”   
  


* * *

Stephen rubbed his ear, ashamed. "It's, er, not been very long," he said, before continuing in a quieter voice. "Though you tend to grow close when you're both about to die."

* * *

“Did he save your life? Because if he did, they have a name for that: White Knight Syndrome!” Christine exclaimed like it was obvious. “Are you sure you actually have feelings for him? Or is it leftover from the adrenaline of nearly dying?”

  
She still seemed stubborn and uptight about it, but it was clear that she was starting to back off about the subject. She just needed more convincing.

* * *

Stephen's mood started to sour at the implication. "Christine, I don't think it's that. There's always the chance you're right, of course, but you haven't seen him the way I have. He's..." 

  
He saw, in his mind's eye, Tony's face back in the hospital. He may have been drugged out of his mind, but his distress at the way Stephen and Pepper were acting was real.    
  
His nervousness when he called Stephen to his new room, presented him with the gloves he'd worked tirelessly on for a week straight, and the elation when he realized he hadn't lost Stephen; that was all real.    
  
He couldn't be playing Stephen. The naked emotion on his face when he thought no one was looking spoke more volumes than his player masks ever could.    
  
"He's... different, when he's around the people he cares about," he finished. "When he's around me, and Pepper Potts. He's a good man, underneath all that ugliness he uses to hide. Please, Christine," Stephen begged, clasping her hands between his own, which had started to shake even with the special gloves Tony designed him. "Please. Trust me."

* * *

Christine stopped and stared at his hands. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it. She slipped her hands out from between his to examine his hands.

  
“Stephen... what are these?” she asked softly, gently running her fingers over the gloves. They looked different - technologically and they seemed to be made of a different material. What most caught her attention was...   
  
“Your hands aren’t shaking as much.”

* * *

Stephen followed her gaze. "Tony made these for me," he said softly. "Not too long after... well, at one point fairly soon after the battle, we had an argument. We both said some things we shouldn't have. Tony was upset, and so I left." 

  
He let her examine the gloves in detail, even pulling one off and offering it to her. "I made a mistake, but I was too stuck in my own head to acknowledge it. It was actually Tony who reached out to _me_. He had spent the week between our argument and then working tirelessly, creating these gloves for me. I'm not sure as to the extent of their abilities, but they allow me better control over my hands, without restricting me at all."    
  
He showed her the side by side comparison, one hand ungloved and shaking, stiff, and a little painful. His other hand, the one with the glove still on, was nearly still. He clenched it into a fist, wiggling each finger individually, and shook it out without so much as a flinch.    
  
"It's amazing, what he did for me when he thought he'd wronged me," Stephen finished, looking back to Christine. "This is what I was talking about. He's different, I know it. And he's hurting, and I know he's going to try to push me away to protect himself, but I don't want him to be alone anymore, and I need your help to figure out how to tell him that."

* * *

Christine pursed her lips as she looked up at Stephen. She hesitated for a moment before she gave in with a sigh.

  
“Okay... come on, there’s a conference room down the hall that’s empty,” she said, walking off down the hall. She walked into the conference room a few doors down and sat in one of the chairs. She waited for Stephen to come in.   
  
“What should I know before we figure out what we can do?” she asked once he was in the room.

* * *

Stephen followed happily, closing the door behind him and settling in a chair across from her. 

  
"From what Pepper Potts, his closest friend and the one person who knows him better than any else, has told me, it's this: he doesn't do well with relationships. Something about things getting a little bad and he takes it personally." He tapped his fingers on the table. "Basically, he has a habit of sabotaging things before they can be great, because he's worried about things being bad."   
  
"He's scared of being hurt, so he's closed his heart off. I've managed to worm my way in there, but according to Pepper and Dr. Banner, he's started questioning things and retreating again."    
  
He looked down at his hands, slipping his glove back on. "I don't want to lose him," he added softly.

* * *

“...Sounds like someone else I know...” Christine mumbled. Then, she started in on the real advice. “He sounds like the sort of person that won’t respond well to just words. Do something for him. I would say buy something to start off with, but I can’t think of anything you could buy him that he couldn’t buy himself.” She thought for a moment.

  
“You have to match what he does and go beyond it. He found something you weren’t confident about with yourself - your hands - and he made an effort to make it better for you. What is something about him you can do that for?” she asked, speaking as plainly as she can. “If you add to it, he’ll realize he did well, and he’ll realize you care enough to notice things about him.”

* * *

Stephen thought for a bit, mulling over her words. She was right; words didn't seem to mean much to him. And from what he knew of the man's past from his public life, he had been deceived enough times for words to no longer carry meaning. 

  
But actions did, so Stephen needed to find something he could do. But what could he do for the man that had everything?    
  
Well, he seemed rather sensitive about the arc reactor in his chest. And who wouldn't be? However, Stephen couldn't just remove it. He might be able to, physically, but despite Tony's sensitivity about it, he seemed to be attached to the gadget in more ways than just physical.    
  
He thought, but what if he didn't remove it? He could always improve it, somehow. Make it easier to work with, or less painful, or something. That would require _seeing_  it, though, and Tony refused to let him anywhere near it, always having at least one layer between it and Stephen's eyes.    
  
He nodded. He would figure it out.    
  
"Thank you so much, Christine," he said, standing and going to her side. "You don't know how much this means to me. I'm... I'm sorry we never worked out, like that, but I'm glad we at least managed to stay friends. And I am eternally grateful I haven't ruined our relationship again, despite how much I seem to be trying."    
  
He shot her a crooked grin. "Accidentally, of course."

* * *

Christine smiled. “I do care about you, Stephen. And... no matter how much I don’t like it, I am here to help with your current relationship, since I know how it is to deal with cocky billionaires.”

  
She stood and hugged him gently. “Come back when you need more advice. And I do mean when - you aren’t as good with romance as you might like to think.”

* * *

Stephen hugged her back, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You couldn't be more right," he murmured, before pulling away. 

  
"I need to go think, but thank you again. If you need anything, let me know. I could never repay you enough."

* * *

“Repay me by not messing this relationship up - and not letting Stark mess it up,” Christine said. Then, someone called her over the intercom. “I have to go. Good luck.” Then, she left the room, assuming Stephen could find his own way out.

* * *

Stephen watched her go, deep in thought. He had several ideas, but he needed to think them over awhile before progressing any further. 

  
He looked at his watch. Evening was fast approaching; he should be heading back soon.    
  
As he slid his sling ring on his fingers and pictured the inside of his room at the compound, his mind kept racing over the possibilities to show Tony just how much he meant to the sorcerer.    
  



	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is it lassie? did timmy fall down the well?
> 
> kill me asdkfhasdflaksj
> 
> also trigger warning for a flashback with a rape scene in it, tho its not explicit, just implied

Tony sat in the lab, welding together vibranium. He ran a few tests to see how his current alloy would hold up against the energy of the infinity stones by putting as much energy through it as he could. Half the trials would’ve ended up with shards of metal in his head.   
  
He hadn’t slept in days. He hadn’t eaten in... he couldn’t remember how long. He had become hyper focused, so much so that he stopped seeing the heavy bags under his eyes when he saw his reflection in pieces of metal.   
  
He had his metal alloy down - the energy didn’t result in many metallic shards flying everywhere - which was a combination of vibranium, organic matter, and some adamantium he had hunted down. He was hoping that the adamantium would help hold up long enough for all of the stones to be used at once just one time.   
  
At some point, he had also taken the blueprints for the scanner that Bruce had uploaded - along with an ignored plea for Tony to sleep - and begun work on that. The prototype was sitting on the other side of the lab.

* * *

The cloak hovered in the corner of Tony's lab, holding the tablet and giving Bruce periodic updates as requested, much like it had been for the past week. 

  
It had tried to get the scientist's attention on more than one occasion, tapping out messages and holding the tablet in front of him, but was either met with passive "Yeah, sure"s or complete avoidance. It was starting to get frustrated with this human for being so stubborn, but there wasn't much Levi could do, being a sentient piece of floating fabric.    
  
_Bruce, he will not listen. Are you sure this is the best course of action?_  it typed, sending the message to the more ruffled of the two scientists. _It seems detrimental to his physical health to isolate himself for so long, especially with his self-imposed lack of sleep and nourishment._ __   
  
Having sent the message, it floated back over to Tony and settled on his shoulders, tugging gently in an attempt to pull him out of his work again.

* * *

“Hey, stop it,” Tony grumbled. He didn’t even look up from his work as he muttered calculations to himself. He took another sip of coffee - a long time ago, he had installed a coffee machine in the lab so he didn’t have to leave for it.

  
On the tablet, a message popped up that read, “He locked the lab. Can’t get in to help.” Following that was a notification to remind Bruce to tell Tony ‘happy birthday’, but obviously, the tablet was in the lab.   
  
Tony had begun putting in the organic/inorganic compound where the stones were meant to be held in the crown. He planned to work more on the scanner in a minute.

* * *

Levi lifted off his shoulders to check the notifications. 

  
 _Direct me on how to unlock them_ , it typed, before noticing what the reminder was for.   
  
It opened up the secondary notes application and tapped out a note for Tony, before floating over to his worktable and setting the tablet down where he could see and settling back on his shoulders.   
  
_Happy Birthday, Tony,_  it read.

* * *

Tony barely looked up to glance at the tablet before he looked back at his word. Then, he did a double take.

  
“Friday? What day is it?” he asked aloud, and the music he was playing turned down enough for Friday to respond, “May 29th. Happy birthday, boss.”   
  
Tony made a soft grumbling noise, and he sighed, “Thanks, little guy. Thanks, Friday. Keep everyone out of the lab, Friday.”   
  
Another message in the other notes application read: “It’s voice activated this time. He has to do it. There’s an override code, but only he knows it.”

* * *

Levi glanced at the message. Mentally sighing, it curled itself tighter around the man's shoulders as it debated what to do. 

  
The only things it could think of all involved its sorcerer, who was currently out of commission _somewhere_ , and Levi didn't know how to contact him.   
  
Though it did have an idea.   
  
Swooping the tablet back up, Levi didn't even leave Tony's shoulders as it quickly tapped out a message and shoved it in his face.   
  
_Tony, open the door. I have to leave_.

* * *

Tony scowled at the tablet in his face and glared at the offending screen. “Friday, let the cloak out. Don’t let anyone in.” The lock clicked after the AI responded, “Yes, boss.”

  
He then batted the tablet out of his face, the bright light hurting his tired eyes, and he went back to his work without another word.

* * *

Levi hated being so brusque with a man so obviously endeared by its sorcerer, but time was of the essence. It abandoned the tablet on Tony's worktable after leaving a message of apology, and whipped out the door into the hall. 

  
Locating the nearest window, it slipped outside and zipped across the landscape towards the city, where it could feel the magic signature of one Stephen Strange residing.    
  
-   
  
Stephen sat at his desk at the Sanctum with his head in his hands. He sighed in defeat, then in a burst of anger, stood and swept a series of papers onto the floor.    
  
He had been thinking non-stop for a week on what to do for Tony, with nothing to show for it. A _week_ , and he was no farther than he'd been after his talk with Christine.    
  
He had tried to reach out to Tony a handful of times during the week, but no response was forthcoming. He'd reached out to Pepper instead, and she had repeated what he'd feared: Tony was isolating himself to avoid getting hurt.    
  
He collapsed back into his seat and dropped his head into his arms. He was so tired of this, of all of this. He just wanted things to be right between them, but that couldn't happen if Tony was so hellbent on hiding his heart.    
  
He looked up as he heard a tapping at his window. Standing, he went over and smiled at the sight of his cloak waving at him.    
  
He opened the window and it flew into his arms, wrapping around his waist and chest and shoulders.    
  
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asked.    
  
Levi shivered in irritation as it tried to charade its way through an explanation. Something about their connection helped, however, and Stephen got the message.    
  
"Tony?" he said, cocking an eyebrow. "Something's wrong with him?"    
  
The cloak bobbed in affirmation.    
  
Flicking the cloak over his shoulder, Stephen slipped on his sling ring. He felt something like dread building in his stomach, wondering what was going on, and opened a portal to Tony's location.

* * *

Tony saw sparks and jumped, thinking something had caught fire. He turned and saw the portal, though, and his heart attack was quelled.

  
“Note to self: magic proof the lab, he muttered, about to go back to his work, then he saw Dum-E rush over and frantically spray the sparks with extinguisher. The robot made little distressed beeping noises.   
  
Tony rolled his eyes and went back to fitting the crown with the housing compound.

* * *

Stephen stepped through his portal into  Tony' lab, only to be greeted by a face full of foam. 

  
He sputtered, waving his hands as he tried to stop the barrage. The cloak yanked him to the side, pulling him out of the line of fire.    
  
He wiped the foam out of his eyes, but his face and hair and basically his entire front was covered in the stuff. He frowned at the frantic little robot.

* * *

“Dum-E!” Tony reprimanded the robot, which gave a sad little boop and rolled off to the corner. The genius didn’t even look up.

  
“Hey, Stephen. What can I help you with?” he asked as the little holder finally slid into place in the crown.

* * *

Stephen walked over to Tony as he continued vainly trying to clean his face off. 

  
"Tony, we need to talk," he said, stopping at the worktable. He couldn't quite make out what Tony was building, but ignored it for now. "You can't hide out here forever. We were supposed to be working on this _together."_   
  


* * *

Tony looked up at Stephen and made a slight face. He reached up and gently wiped the remaining spot of foam off of the sorcerer’s face.

  
“Your part hasn’t come in yet. Bruce handled the plans for the scanner, I’m building the machinery, and you’ll do your magic stuff later on,” he explained, holding back a yawn about halfway through. He muffled his fatigue by taking another gulp of coffee.   
  
“I’m getting it done. We’ll be kicking the snot outta that grape bastard soon,” he continued as if he was trying to reassure Stephen about how long it will take. He set about putting in the next housing slot.

* * *

Stephen crooked a smile at the motion, which dropped as he noticed Tony's seeming lack of emotion as he spoke. 

  
He was silent a moment, watching him work, before asking "Tony, when was the last time you slept?"

* * *

“Friday, can you answer that?” Tony asked. The AI paused for a bit before it stated, “The last time the boss slept was three days ago when he accidentally passed out on the counter for four hours.”

  
Tony nodded. “Sounds about right...” he stated as he squinted at the housing unit. It didn’t want to bend just enough for him to get it in the slot, so he pulled it out and adjusted where the metal graspers were. He tried again.

* * *

Stephen narrowed his eyes. "And when was the last time he ate, Friday?"

  
The cloak brushed his cheek, trying to calm him down before his anger flared. Stephen brushed it off.

* * *

“Coffee for the last six days,” Friday recounted. Tony looked up at the ceiling, as if betrayed.

  
“I didn’t tell you to answer that one,” he muttered. He looked back down at his work, and managed to get the pieces to fit together.   
  
He hadn’t noticed how much he was shaking until he realized how difficult it was to get the housing in.

* * *

_"Tony!"_ Stephen shouted. "You know better than to endanger yourself like that!"

  
He grabbed the back of Tony's chair and spun it around, face to face with the man. "Do you want to hurt yourself? Because that's how you get hurt."

* * *

Tony glared at Stephen. “Back off, Strange.” It was the first time he had called him by his last name since they had gotten together.

  
He grabbed Stephen’s hands and pulled them off of the chair before he spun back around. “I have to get this done.”

* * *

Stephen felt something heavy settle in his heart at the dismissal, but something hot and poisonous stabbed him in the heart at the cold way Tony referred to him. 

  
"Oh, so we're doing that now, are we Stark?" he growled coldly. "And here I'd thought we were past that, but apparently not."    
  
The cloak whipped off his shoulders and made a cutting motion, trying to shush him, but he ignored it.

* * *

Tony stood then, however inelegant the motion was, and turned sharply. “Maybe if you would back off and not treat me like a child, it wouldn’t be like this.”

  
He stalked closer, the height difference between them and the way his body was shaking from the exertion of doing this only on caffeine not seeming to bother him.   
  
“I’m doing this so we can be done and get back at Thanos. Somehow, I’m still the bad guy,” he responded, his words like ice. “Clearly, you can’t take a hint when someone wants to be alone, because you’re this fancy magic wizard who doesn’t _need_  doors or permission to enter a room!” His tone became mocking at the end.   
  
“I can monitor my own health! I don’t need you to do it for me! So back. Off.” At this, he was standing toe-to-toe with Stephen, glaring up at him defiantly.

* * *

Stephen's hands flew up in anger. "I _won't_  back off!" he shouted. "You haven't eaten in six days, haven't slept in three, you're going to drop dead if you don't stop soon and damn it all Tony, sometimes you need some fucking _adult supervision!_ "

* * *

Oh, but Tony didn’t hear anything, his brain shut off when Stephen’s hands flew up. In a split second, he had flashbacks to fights where his mouth got too smart, so Obadiah silenced him.

  
In a flash, he stumbled backward and tripped, and gauntlets flew from somewhere on the walls to armor his hands as they flew up to guard his face.   
  
“I’m sorry! Dammit, I’m sorry! I’ll... I’ll build something else I’ll do whatever please just don’t... hurt me...” He got quieter at the end, his voice having been pleading and scared. Oh. _Oh._ _   
  
_ _He_ hadn’t had a reaction like that in a very long time. He realized this as he came to, his breathing ragged and his heart doing its best to hammer the arc reactor out from the inside.   
  
“Boss, your heart is beating at an irregular rate,” Friday stated simply after the chaos was over.

* * *

Stephen had frozen with his hands in the air at Tony's unexpected reaction. 

  
"T-Tony..?" he said slowly. "Are you... okay?"   
  
He'd seen the man distressed before, but nothing like this. Something was terribly wrong, and he knew that it was without a doubt triggered by him. His heart dropped at the thought.

* * *

“I’m fine,” Tony hurriedly responded as he scrambled to his feet and tried to calm his breathing. The panic had wrapped itself around his throat, and he felt like he was being strangled.

  
“He’s gone, why is he still in my head?” he muttered to himself almost inaudibly as he began to rub at his arms, the gauntlets having gone back to their place. It was almost like he was trying to rub his panic away. He turned away from Stephen and began to do some breathing exercises he had read about online once.

* * *

Stephen reached for Tony's shoulder, but hesitated before making contact. He didn't want to set the man off any further, but he was worried. 

  
"Tony," he murmured. "I won't hurt you. Everything is okay. I don't know what's going on, but you're going to be okay."    
  
-   
  
Levi hovered uncertainly behind its sorcerer, watching Tony in much the same way. It fluttered nervously, then moved slowly around to where Tony could see it, before brushing ever so gently against his arm in a manner meant to be comforting.

* * *

Then the reality of what he was remembering hit Tony and he choked out, “Oh, God, no...” He realized that in his effort to protect himself, his shirt had ripped over his chest, and he crossed his arms tightly to hide the arc reactor.

  
Suddenly, he turned, and without moving his arms, he buried his face in Stephen’s chest to try to hide the fact that he was crying.   
  


* * *

The sudden third turn of emotion staggered Stephen emotionally, and the sudden Tony crying into his robe knocked him for a more physical loop. 

  
His hands raised cautiously, gently settling on Tony's shoulders. "Hey, hey, it's alright," he soothed, rubbing small circles into the man's shoulders with his thumbs. He slowly slipped his arms around Tony's shoulders, pulling him closer. "It's okay, you're okay, shh..."    
  
He felt the cloak slide carefully around the two of them, wrapping them in a warm burrito of comfort.    
  
He also felt something pricking at the back of his mind, urging him to close his eyes.    
  
He did so, pressing a soft kiss to the crown of Tony's head, and was suddenly transported into a memory that wasn't his own.

* * *

Tony, age 29. It was his birthday, and he though maybe he’d get to spend time with Obadiah. He sat in his penthouse suite, waiting for the man to arrive, but instead of a happy partner, the door slammed open and the angrier version of Obadiah came through.

  
“Obah?” Tony asked softly and received a glare for his efforts.   
  
“ _What do you want_ , Tony?” the older man growled as he threw his briefcase into a corner.   
  
“Well, seeing as it’s my birthday... I was hoping we’d have dinner together,” Tony suggested, trying not to overstep his bounds. It was clear that there had been plenty of abuse before this point.   
  
“Oh, and you expect _me_  to make it, do you?” Obadiah grunted. Tony frowned.   
  
“Well, I was hoping. But clearly something’s got your panties in a twist,” the younger commented, regretting it when a glare was sent his way.   
  
“Is it because you haven’t eaten in days again? Is it because it’s your _birthday?_ God, you’re useless,” Obadiah growled, stalking up to Tony. “I do all the work and you expect me to come home and take care of you? Why would anyone want to take care of an adult who’s so pathetic he can’t even take care of himself?”   
  
“I’ve been working on that project you’ve had me doing for months now,” Tony objected, standing up. He didn’t like to be towered over. It scared him.   
  
“Maybe if you were as smart as you like to say you are, you’d have had it done by now! People are dying because you’re taking so long on the weapon! If you had it done, the fighting would be over!” Obadiah raised his voice.   
  
“I can’t even ask for dinner without getting blamed for people dying!” Tony shouted. “Maybe if you did your own fucking job and let me run my company, we wouldn’t be here!”   
  
That did it. Obadiah swing and punched Tony in the eye, causing him to topple to the ground. He kicked him around a bit before he froze and picked Tony up.   
  
“Oh... Tony, I’m sorry...” the older man muttered, sounding sympathetic but his eyes seeming empty as Tony looked up at him, one hand covering his throbbing eye.   
  
“Let me make you feel better,” Obadiah murmured as he began to rub at Tony’s back, and the genius shook his head slowly.   
  
“No... don’t wanna do that tonight,” Tony mumbled, not feeling so good. He might’ve been bleeding.   
  
“Sh... I’ll make you feel good,” Obadiah hushed, but his tone was more creepy than reassuring. He started kissing at Tony’s jaw.   
  
“Stop, Obah, not tonight,” the younger protested, but was met with a growl and a shush, and he stayed silent for the rest of that night, no matter how “good” he was supposed to feel.

* * *

Stephen gasped, his eyes flying open as the vision ended. He felt bile rising up in his throat, and he had to swallow down his horror at the revelation. 

  
"Tony, I- I never knew," he stammered. His hands clenched in the fabric of Tony's shirt, shaking bad despite the gloves. "God, I- I'm so sorry. I never knew."

* * *

“Nobody did,” Tony responded. The tears had dried up. “Sorry you had to see that.” He gave a meek shrug and moved to back up.

  
As soon as he wasn’t touching Stephen any more, he realized how much the other man’s presence made him feel better, so he leaned back against him.   
  
“I’m sorry about the fight, Stephen. Can I make it up to you?”

* * *

Stephen looked down at him as he pulled away, and noticed for the first time the state of Tony's shirt. 

  
"Tony, you don't have to do anything for me except get some rest," he murmured, hugging Tony back to his chest. He rubbed comforting circles into his back as the cloak slipped off his shoulders and onto Tony's, wrapping him in a hug from the other side.

* * *

At a loss for words, Tony ended up muttering, “It’s my birthday, y’know...” He felt like he was falling asleep in Stephen’s arms, his tension having melted so fast while he was being held.

  
He sleepily began to hum the ‘Happy Birthday’ song, his days without sleep finally catching up to kick him in the ass. In the middle of his song, he stopped and said, “Will you come with me?”

* * *

"Of course, dear," he said, wrapping Tony more firmly in his arms before scooping him up in a bridal carry. 

  
The vision of Tony's past and seeing him covering the arc reactor with that shameful expression on his face had made Stephen realize something. He didn't need to make it disappear, or seem less obvious. He didn't need to find a way to cover it up for Tony. He thought that would make him feel better, but Stephen realized something as he picked the man up and cradled him to his chest.    
  
Tony needed to feel good about himself. He didn't need to hide such a big part of him; he needed to feel comfortable with it. He needed to feel he was loved, not despite it, but along with it.    
  
And he had an idea on how to show Tony that, but it would have to be brought up after the man got some much-needed rest. So Stephen carried him out of the workshop and up to his bedroom.    
  
-   
  
Levi wiggled out of Stephen's arms long enough to snag the discarded tablet and tap out a quick message to Bruce as it followed the two out the door.    
  
_Crisis averted_.   
  
It hung itself off Stephen's shoulder, tablet wrapped in the folds of fabric trailing behind him, and brushed Stephen's cheek with its collar.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> weve been writing a lot of sex into this i just realized

Tony opened his eyes after he had fallen asleep in Stephen’s arms, on their way to bed. He found himself tucked into the sorcerer’s hold.   
  
He had slept enough for now, but he wasn’t looking to get up any time soon. He was warm and happy, and so he nuzzled his face into Stephen’s neck, ready to lay there all day.

* * *

Stephen had carried Tony to the guest bedroom that was remodeled for him, after realizing he didn't know where Tony's own bedroom in the compound was located. He'd carefully stripped off the torn work clothes, leaving Tony in his boxers out of courtesy, and propped himself up on the headboard. 

  
He'd spent a few hours crafting sigils, discarding them one by one as not enough, and found himself drifting by the time he was satisfied with the result. He'd memorized the glowing lines, then dismissed it.    
  
He hadn't meant to fall asleep next to Tony, but the man looked so worn, and it was already early morning, and the cloak was giving him pointed looks from the other side of the bed, so he finally gave in, stripping off his robes and sliding under the blankets next to him.    
  
The cloak draped itself over the two of them, and Stephen had passed out without another thought.    
  
He awoke sometime during the afternoon to find Tony cuddled into his embrace, the cloak bunched up almost between them. He wondered idly if sentient relics could sleep, and if so, had this one just done so? Then he passed the thought off, deciding it was way out of his pay grade.    
  
Knowing Tony was in fact awake, Stephen traced a hand in the air, slowly drawing out the sigil he'd spent hours earlier working on.

* * *

“Are you doing a magic trick?” Tony asked sleepily, moving to try to look at the sigil. Then, he realized he had no shirt on, and he became nervous.

  
“The arc reactor... is a sight, isn’t it?” he asked, trying to make light of how nervous he felt.

* * *

Stephen finished drawing and looked down at Tony, letting it spin in the air on its own. "I'd hardly noticed, my dear," he said, smiling. 

  
He turned back to the sigil and held out a hand. It morphed, shrinking until it fit in the palm of his hand, and he held it down so Tony could examine it as he spoke.    
  
"But since you seem to hate it so much, I thought I might do something about that." He twisted the sigil around, letting it turn and show off the intricate lines and runes. "I could never remove such a big part of you, and despite how much you hate it, covering it up only makes things worse. You need to be told that it's okay you've been hurt, so long as you made it out on the other side. You need to be told, every day, that people care about you; and that includes all your flaws and scars. So I made this for you."    
  
He smiled softly. "It doesn't do much, but it had to be perfect. Whenever you feel bad, like the world is awful and you deserve nothing, it will remind you that you are loved. Because you are, Tony. By many, but none so more than those like Pepper, and Bruce, and..."    
  
He trailed off before he could say 'and me', though he felt it true in his heart. He didn't want to scare Tony with the strength of his feelings, not so soon after an emotional episode like that morning.    
  
He sighed. "We care about you, Tony, and if I have to remind you every minute of every day with this little magic trick, I would gladly craft a thousand sigils for you, because you're worth it."

* * *

Tony was smiling by the end of that little speech, and he mumbled, “Love you, too, you cheesy wizard.” He needed to be felt for and to know it, especially after remembering how unloved he used to be.

  
He kissed Stephen then, slow and soft and lazy. He already felt better than he had that morning. He didn’t know how long this warm, comforted feeling would last, but he’d be damned if he didn’t enjoy it while he felt it.

* * *

Stephen's heart, which was already hammering a mile a minute, kicked into overdrive at Tony's words. He dropped his hand to Tony's waist, the sigil disappearing, and kissed him back for a minute. 

  
Pulling away slightly, he whispered "To properly apply the sigil, I would need to touch the reactor. I know that makes you uncomfortable, though..."    
  
He kissed Tony again, briefly, before awaiting his answer.

* * *

Tony seemed unsure for a moment before he reasoned with himself. He knew he trusted Stephen, so he nodded.

  
“Alright. Go ahead,” he stated simply.

* * *

Stephen smiled softly. He pulled the cloak out of the way, from where it was curled around Tony's chest. It floated lazily to his back instead, flopping down still half on him, but it was good enough.   


  
He summoned the sigil again in the palm of his hand, and touched his lips to it. It glowed a brighter shade of gold.    
  
He then turned his hand and, cupping it gently over the arc reactor, pressed down. It wasn't enough pressure to do anything, but he did it as carefully as possible so as to not hurt Tony.    
  
When he pulled his hand away, the sigil flashed bright blue before sinking into the wiring of the reactor. It hummed quietly, sending out a single spark, before dulling back to its normal glow.    
  
"There," he whispered, pressing his hand on Tony's chest beneath the arc reactor. "All done."

* * *

“What’s it do?” Tony asked, seeming incredibly fascinated by the sigils that had sunk into the arc reactor.

  
“Did you make it so it can shoot lasers?” he joked, and he looked up at Stephen.

* * *

He chuckled. "No, you do that well enough on your own," he said. "No, what this sigil does is fairly mundane, comparatively. Go on, touch it. You'll see." 

* * *

Tony gently touched the arc reactor, and he pulled his hand away in surprise when he was flooded with warm feelings. Then, he touched it again to be sure.

  
He looked at Stephen and said, “This is... really thoughtful.”

* * *

Stephen shrugged, awkwardly turning his head away. "I thought you might need something like that. You seem to get stuck inside your own head a lot, and words don't mean anything to you. After a lifetime of lies, I can see why you wouldn't trust words blindly. So you needed something to deal with raw feelings instead, something too hard to forge. This seemed like the best course of action."

* * *

Tony brought both of his hands up to cup Stephen’s face and turn it toward himself.

  
“It’s very thoughtful. Thank you,” he stated before he kissed Stephen. He felt happy, even without the sigil being activated, and he tried to show it in the kiss.

* * *

Stephen felt relieved, and as he fell into the kiss, gathered the courage to pull away and say the words Tony needed to hear, out loud, and not as just an implication. 

  
"I love you, Tony," he whispered, catching his dark brown eyes and holding them. He traced patterns into the scars around the arc reactor with the tip of his finger. "I love you, so much, and I need you to know that every day so you don't forget it."

* * *

Tony seemed so happy that he might cry. He kissed Stephen again, unable to contain himself. For once, he didn’t mind the touches to the arc reactor scars - in fact, he enjoyed them.

* * *

Stephen kissed him soundly, dragging his fingers down Tony's chest, down his stomach, before pulling away. 

  
He pressed a kiss to his jaw, moving across his neck, nipping lightly at his collarbone and sliding his tongue further down. He stopped his assault above where metal met flesh, glancing up at Tony before he went any further.    
  
"I never wished you happy birthday, Tony," he said, kissing the top of the arc reactor. It tasted warm and metallic, tingling his tongue with the combined electricity running through it and the energy from his own magic. "Let me make it up to you?"

* * *

Tony nodded. He briefly thought of his flashback earlier, and when he thought of how much better this was, his heart melted.

  
Stephen always made sure he was okay with anything before he continued. Stephen was sincere. Stephen was everything Tony had needed for a very long time.   
  
His eyes showed his gratefulness, even if he didn’t want to express it out loud.

* * *

Smiling at the raw, open expression on Tony's face, Stephen continued to kiss the arc reactor. He traced his tongue around the edge, activating the magic inside as he went. 

  
His fingers traced patterns on Tony's thighs, pulling them apart so he could settle between them. He envisioned sigils appearing wherever he drew, minor ones invoking specific feelings of happiness and love. They connected to the one on his chest, amplifying its power, spreading across his body to encompass him in a soft golden light.    
  
There was a rustle of fabric as his cloak finally seemed to wake, shifting off the bed and floating to the wardrobe. He paid it no mind as he continued his ministrations.

* * *

Tony gave a soft sound of happiness at the touches and the sigils. He watched Stephen, the emotions on his face too exposed to be fake or a lie.

  
He easily spread his legs a bit more for Stephen in order to give him more room.

* * *

Moving slowly so as to not break the string of magic, Stephen maneuvered himself until Tony's knees were over his shoulders. He pressed his cheek to the inside of Tony's thigh, nosing the tent in his boxers and sighing, he breath ghosting over Tony's skin. 

  
"You're so beautiful like this," he murmured, kissing the outline of Tony's cock. His long fingers kneaded the man's thighs, encouraging him to pull Stephen closer

* * *

Tony did just that, and he gave a breathy little laugh. “I like to think I’m always so beautiful,” he joked.

  
He knew how much Stephen liked it when he did this, so he ran his fingers through the sorcerer’s hair encouragingly.   
  


* * *

Humming softly at the attention to his head, Stephen said "Yes, but you're also closed off. You keep a mask on for the world, and while I don't blame you, I love it when I can see you open like this."

  
He tugged the waistband of Tony's underwear down with his teeth, pulling it just out of the way enough to free his cock. "You shine brighter when you're like this, love. You're radiant."

* * *

Tony couldn’t come up with a witty retort to cover the airy moan he gave at the rubbing of the cloth on his erection.

  
“Can I just say... I’m really glad you exist?” he muttered after a moment.

* * *

"Well," Stephen laughed. "That wouldn't be the case if not for you, so I should really be thanking _you."_  

  
He guided Tony's cock into his mouth, tongue swirling around the head and dragging across the slit. Beads of salty precome leaked onto his tongue, but he didn't mind.

* * *

Tony covered his mouth with one hand as he let out a higher volume moan at the feeling of Stephen’s mouth around him. His other hand remained in Stephen’s hair and tightened its grip a bit.

* * *

Stephen grunted and reached a hand up to meet Tony's, squeezing it in a signal to pull harder. He worked his mouth around Tony, taking down as much of him as he could before pulling up, relaxing his throat to quell his gag reflex. 

  
Pulling off briefly, he licked his lips and looked up at Tony, saying "Harder, love, I know you can pull harder. Use me as you will, I am yours," before kissing the head of his cock and swallowing it down again.

* * *

Tony then moved his other hand back to Stephen’s hair and gave a sharp tug, and he smiled. “Like that?” he asked, his voice rough with lust. He tightened his grip even more as he was swallowed, a groan of pure, unadulterated pleasure pushing its way out of his lips.

* * *

Groaning around Tony's cock, Stephen barely managed to pull off long enough to nod. The sensation sent spikes of pleasure down his spine, making his body tingle with a different kind of magic. 

  
He shifted, relieving some of the painful pressure off of his own cock, and went all the way down in one swift movement. His lips pressed to the base of Tony's groin, the thick, dark curls tickling his nose. He swallowed, convulsing his throat around the cock in the back of it, feeling tears pricking the corners of his eyes, but didn't back down.

* * *

“Oh, God, Stephen— I’d love it more if I made it to you actually fucking me for my birthday,” Tony moaned, tugging again on the sorcerer’s hair.

* * *

Stephen chuckled before pulling off one last time and reaching up to kiss him silent. "You're so impatient," he breathed against Tony's lips. "I'll take care of you, don't worry." 

  
Gripping the man's waist, he ground against him, slowly, languid rolls of the hips as his lips trailed patterns on Tony's chest. He left golden lines in his wake, twisting across his skin before sinking in and disappearing, only to be replaced moments after by new ones.    
  
His lips found the arc reactor again, and without a thought, he pressed a kiss to the top, sending a curl of magic through it into the sigil within. It overloaded, sending a burst of energy rippling through him, alighting on nerves and threading through muscles, acting as a relaxing agent and aphrodisiac in one.

* * *

Tony gasped at the feeling, his back arching ever so slightly. It almost felt like too much, but at the same time, he needed more.   
  
He used his grip in Stephen’s hair to pull him back up for another kiss.

* * *

Stephen followed the guidance happily, smiling into the kiss. He nipped at Tony's bottom lip, hands replacing what his mouth had been doing and tracing patterns into the skin around the arc reactor. 

  
He broke the kiss after a moment of this, reaching over to the nightstand to grab the bottle of lube from where it had been left their last time together.    
  
Doing that put him in a position where he was crouched over Tony, caging him in on the bed. He looked down, grinning at the sight beneath him.    
  
"Hey," he said, smirking. He popped the lid off with one hand, cheering internally as his less-dexterous fingers managed it on the first try.

* * *

Tony grinned. “That was skillful,” he said, though he actually sounded a little proud of how easily Stephen did that.

  
He didn’t admit it, but Stephen trapping him on the bed turned him on more than anything. He liked giving the sorcerer control, it helped him trust.

* * *

Stephen chuckled. "I have been told I'm good with my hands," he said, leaning down to kiss Tony senseless.   


  
He wiggled awkwardly out of his trousers, tossing them off the side of the bed, and poured some of the lube onto his fingers. Leaning back over Tony, he pressed a single digit in, sinking down to the second knuckle, and set about preparing him as they continued kissing.

* * *

Tony slung his legs around Stephen’s waist loosely, kissing him as deeply as he can. He needed to let Stephen know how much he appreciated him, and he tried to portray that through the kiss.

  
He ran his fingers over Stephen’s shoulders and down his chest before wrapping around to his back, where he scratched lightly, just to see the sorcerer’s response.

* * *

Stephen shivered, Tony's blunt nails leaving tingling trails along his skin in their wake. He added a second finger, crooking them until they brushed against the tight bundle of nerves inside. He let a spark of magic leave his fingertips as he pressed harder. 

  
He broke the kiss, only losing contact long enough to move until he was nipping at the billionaire's neck, kissing little red marks down the column of his throat.

* * *

“Oh, _fuck,”_ Tony moaned, his nails instinctively digging harder into Stephen’s back. He was enjoying this immensely.

  
“How did you even— fuck, never mind, I don’t care,” he muttered.

* * *

"I contain multitudes," Stephen said into Tony's shoulder, scraping his teeth and biting down as he groaned at the fire on his back. He let go, soothing the bite with a swipe of his tongue, and moved on to mark another spot. 

  
Pushing a third finger in, Stephen let loose another series of sparks that sank into Tony, relaxing his muscles further. His wrist was starting to ache, but it was worth it to see the expression of ecstasy on Tony's face as he pulled away from his work to kiss him again.

* * *

Tony had admittedly never felt this good in his life. He kissed Stephen harder, rocking his hips with the thrusts of the sorcerer’s fingers inside of him.

  
His legs tightened a bit with the sensations of the sparks and the kisses and the marks driving him crazy.

* * *

Stephen kept the pace going, drowning in the feeling of Tony's pleasure. Tony was like nicotine to him; addictive, needing more and more or he would go out like the light. But Tony wasn't bad for him, no, he was so very good. So maybe he needed to think of a new metaphor, but with his mind currently occupied, you couldn't blame him. 

  
He felt Tony's orgasm building through their connection, and pulled out before that could happen.    
  
"Alright love, you're ready," he said, grabbing the bottle of lube again and preparing himself. He kissed Tony deeply as he slid in to the hilt, stilling to let the feelings wash over him.

* * *

Tony groaned into the kiss, basking in the feeling of Stephen inside of him. He was so in love with this man, and he felt it mixed in with the lust.

  
Not long after, Tony broke the kiss to say, “You can move.” He immediately kissed Stephen again after speaking.

* * *

"I'm moving, I'm moving," Stephen said. "Impatient bastard." 

  
And he did, rolling his hips and burying himself deep with every thrust. He kissed Tony soundly, muffling his moans in the other man's mouth at the electric heat being inside him felt like.    
  
His hands slid around Tony's backside, pulling him closer and digging fingers into the swell of his ass.

* * *

Tony moaned with Stephen, being especially greedy this time - he felt he was entitled on his birthday.

  
He raked his fingers down Stephen’s back again. He loves the sorcerer’s reactions to it.

* * *

With a growl, Stephen sat up on his knees, his hold on Tony pulling the man up and into his lap. The new angle managed to bury his dick deeper in Tony's ass, brushing against that sweet spot again. 

  
He kept moving, raising Tony up a few inches before slamming him back down, hands on his hips and around his back, pulling away to look up at him and grinning like a shark.

* * *

Tony held on tightly as the position was switched, and he moaned as Stephen bounced him on his cock.

  
“You’re pretty strong...” he snarked even through the pleasure. He got his legs under himself so he could assist, helping to raise and lower himself.

* * *

"It comes with the job," Stephen groaned, pounding into Tony until his breath was short, gasping as he felt things building to a point. 

  
He pulled Tony down into a kiss, magic flaring white-hot as he came inside him.

* * *

Tony came just after Stephen, muffling his sounds in the kiss. He kept kissing Stephen even as his orgasm ebbed, pulling the sorcerer against him.

* * *

Milking Tony through his orgasm, Stephen slowly laid him down on the covers. He kissed him deeply, cupping his face with his free hand, tangling long fingers into Tony's hair before pulling away.

  
He caressed Tony's scalp, a warm bubble of affection caught in his throat as leftover endorphins tingled through his system.    
  
Pressing his lips to the man's forehead, he murmured sweet nothings against his skin. "You did so good, happy birthday my dear, you did wonderfully," he said, kissing his cheekbone and down to his lips again. "I love you so much, I love you Tony, I love you."

* * *

“You sure know how to make a guy tear up,” Tony joked, though he did look and feel extremely flattered. “I love you, too, Stephen.”

* * *

Stephen's lips fluttered across Tony's eyelids. His hand traced a path down the man's chest, brief enough to clear their mess before trailing back up and cupping his face. "Happy birthday," he repeated, smiling. 

  
Settling down next to him, Stephen wrapped his arms around Tony's chest and pulled his body closer. "We have much to do," he said, cuddling up behind his partner, "but we can take the rest of today to relax. I'll cook you something in a bit, we can watch movies, whatever you like. For the rest of the day, nothing else matters but your happiness and comfort."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright class here we go, theres actually some plot i guess bc jack and i cant leave that infinity war ending well enough alone so fuck it
> 
> also, flirting all around yaaay
> 
> EDIT so i drew art for the infinity tiara

Tony sat in the lab, finishing up the crown - or tiara, depends on your design viewpoint - and quietly worked. He hadn’t been working for very long, but he was almost done.  
  
-  
  
Across the lab, Bruce sat with Stephen as they finished up the scanner. He had forced Tony - or had Pepper force Tony - to let him finish the building part, and he was having Stephen do his part.  
  
-  
  
Natasha had come into the lab and was discussing the mission with Pepper, who she was trying to persuade to go despite Tony’s feelings about her being at risk.

* * *

Stephen watched Bruce carefully as he worked, hands raised as his magic flowed freely in the space between them. Golden electricity encompassed the machinations of the scanner, and he focused on integrating it into the wiring as Bruce put it together. 

  
"So how are we going to do this exactly?" he asked, watching as his sigils and runes sank into the wiring, making the circuits glow. "Get ahold of Thanos, I mean. We can track him to the ends of the universe, but unless we have a plan to get the Stones from him, all of this was for nothing."  
  
-  
  
Levi hovered around Tony, handing him pieces and holding things in place as best it could when asked. There wasn't much a sentient cloak could do during a time like this, but it made itself useful in every possible way.  
  
It flew over to a minifridge on the other side of the room, pulling out a water bottle and flying back to Tony. Leaving it in plain sight and brushing up against him so he would notice it, Levi flew over to where Pepper and the assassin woman were talking.  
  
It listened in on their conversation, settling itself on Pepper's shoulders protectively. Levi didn't have much of an opinion on Natasha Romanoff yet, though with how easy Pepper seemed to act around her, it held off judgement for now.  
  
-  
  
Pepper was getting frustrated, though she tried not to show it.  
  
"Nat, he _can't_  do this again," she said, jumping as something heavy draped itself around her. She touched the hem of the cloak, looking away. "The last time he went into space like this, he almost didn't come back. What if..."  
  
She had to swallow to speak around the lump in her throat. "What if this time, he doesn't?"

* * *

“Weren’t you all almost able to hold him down long enough to get the gauntlet off? I remember it looked pretty close to crumbling after the snap, so if we can just get it off of him, it’s only a matter of transferring the stones,” Bruce explained.

  
“I’m going to do my best to get the Hulk to come out for an initial attack. More a surprise assault than anything. Then you, Steve, and Thor are going to come in to try to hold him down and get the gauntlet. You three are our best bet for that. Tony will come in to get the gauntlet once you have it, and he and Nat will get the stones transferred while we hold off Thanos.”  
  
-  
  
Tony gave a sigh as if put-upon, but drank some water anyway as he finished. He was trying to comply with the Cloak’s insistence that he takes care of himself, if only because he didn’t want anyone else to get involved.  
  
-  
  
“Pepper, why don’t you come along? You don’t have to come anywhere near the fight, but we sure as hell are going to need someone to patch us up after,” Natasha pointed out. “I know Tony doesn’t like the idea of you being so close, but you’re an adult, too. You’re pretty badass on your own.”  
  
She smiled. “We could use having you nearby.”

* * *

Stephen nodded. "We almost got it back on Titan, but it wouldn't have been possible without that Mantis girl. Something she did managed to throw his mind for a loop, keeping him under so we could get the gauntlet."

  
He sighed, shaking his head. "We almost had it too, if it weren't for Quill."  
  
Thinking on what he knew of the man's situation with Gamora, Stephen conceded that he understood where Quill was coming from. It was frustrating, but emotions tended to get in the way of things pretty often.  
  
He glanced up at Tony, working to get the pieces of the device together. Speaking of...  
  
"Tony, remind me again why you decided a _tiara_  was the right thing to hold the Infinity Stones?" he asked.  
  
-  
  
Pepper laughed. "Nat, you always know what to say to a girl."  
  
She fingered the edge of the cloak again. "Tony doesn't want me on the field, because I'm the only one of us without any special powers or training. I mean, technically I could use one of his suits, the one he designed to fit me as well as him. But I don't know, just sitting there on the sidelines while you guys risked your lives seems awful."  
  
The cloak shivered and wrapped itself tighter around her, warm and inviting. She chuckled again, smiling. "Imagine me, in one of the Iron Man suits, fighting off Thanos while you all watched. Now that's an image."  
  
-  
  
Steve sighed and checked his watch for the fifth time, shielding his eyes from the sun as he watched the sky for any sign of lightning.  
  
He had been updated on the plan a few days ago, out of the blue, and was tasked with getting Thor back to Earth from wherever he'd gone after dropping a half-dead Tony Stark off at the compound. After calling Thor on a phone he'd apparently been given, enhanced with some sort of magic that could reach him wherever he was, Steven was left to await his arrival.  
  
On the helipad on top of the Avenger's compound. By himself. In the sun.  
  
Sigh.  
  
He resigned himself to waiting, wondering what they were doing down in Tony's basement, if they were close to finishing, and wishing he'd brought a chair.

* * *

Bruce chuckled at the call out, going back to assembling the scanner.

  
-  
  
“Okay, first of all, I think it’s incredibly fashionable. Second, if someone’s gonna wield the most powerful artifacts in the universe for even a second, they might as well feel like royalty,” Tony retorted before he stuck his tongue out at Stephen playfully.  
  
-  
  
“I know how you feel. I know you’ll do what’s best for yourself and the team,” Natasha soothed. “Remember that you always have the locket Tony gave you.”  
  
She reached out to gently grasp Pepper’s hand and give it a squeeze. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

* * *

"A tiara, Tony. _Tiara,"_ Stephen admonished, grinning. "You couldn't have picked something a bit more, I don't know, dignified? I feel like we should've gone with the Infinity Charm Bracelet instead, but that's just me." 

  
-  
  
Pepper squeezed Natasha's hand back, smiling gratefully. The hand that had been fiddling with Levi's hem reached up to touch the locket, which she hadn't taken off since Tony gave it to her, weeks ago.  
  
"Thank you," she said, reaching forward to pull the assassin into a hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you. Probably drown in all the testosterone floating in this room."  
  
She pulled away, flashing Natasha one last grateful smile before wandering over to where Bruce was working diligently.  
  
"What's up?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder to watch him work. "Need any help? I think the cloak is good on water duty, but I can bring you something else if you need anything."

* * *

“Oh, I’d look hot in it and you know it,” Tony retorted, grinning at Stephen. He fitted the last piece on and lifted it to set it on his head. For a piece made more for function, it didn’t look bad at all.

  
-  
  
“A granola bar or something would be nice,” Bruce responded with a smile, unconsciously leaning his head closer to Pepper. “Thanks, Pepper.”  
  
-  
  
Natasha left, making her way up to the roof to give Steve some company.  
  
“Any sign of him?” she asked once she got up there.

* * *

Stephen rolled his eyes, which had started to glow gold. He focused back on his magic, making sure it was thoroughly integrated into the scanner, before responding. 

  
"Why stop there? Let's go farther, make some Infinity Earrings, Infinity Anklets, hell, I think there's a market out there for a set of Infinity Nipple-Tassels, don't you? Wield the power of the universe with your nipples, or something."  
  
He flicked his fingers, sending a shower of sparks flying. "There's a tagline there somewhere, I can feel it."  
  
-  
  
Pepper felt her cheeks redden, touching his shoulders before stepping away to get some snacks for them.  
  
Before she could move away, though, something tugged at her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. She looked down.  
  
The cloak was wrapped around Bruce's arm, insistently keeping them together.  
  
"What...?" she wondered. Going back to behind her friend, the cloak let him go and settled snugly back on her shoulders.  
  
She tried to turn away again, but the collar flicked up and smacked her cheek. "Rude," she muttered. "Fine, you go get the snacks then."  
  
Without another metaphysical word, the cloak flew off to the minifridge again.  
  
-  
  
Steve shook his head, arms crossed as he continued to survey the sky. "Not a hair. He said he was somewhere near Nidavellir when we spoke, but it shouldn't take him that long to get back. Not with that magic axe of his."  
  
He didn't get to say much else, as at that moment, lightning flashed across the otherwise perfectly clear sky.  
  
There was a flash of colorful light and the sound of booming thunder, and when Steve uncovered his eyes, there he was.  
  
-  
  
"Did I miss anything?" Thor asked, grinning.

* * *

“Oh, Stephen, you could just ask if you wanted to see me with nipple jewelry,” Tony teased with a mischievous smirk.

  
He walked over to the sorcerer. “Admit it. You like it.”  
  
-  
  
Bruce looked up at Pepper. “Is Levi being difficult again?” he asked with an amused smile. He had grown fond of the cloak.  
  
-  
  
“Not really, unless you were looking forward to watching Tony and Strange fall in love - then, maybe,” Natasha responded.

* * *

Stephen paused briefly in his magic, crooking an eyebrow in Tony's direction. 

  
"I'd like you in anything," he said. "Though I feel like maybe an Infinity Cock Ring would fit you better than that tiara," he added in a lower voice, so that only Tony could hear him.  
  
-  
  
Pepper shook her head fondly as she watched the cloak rifle through the fridge. "Yeah, but I think I know why, don't worry."  
  
She had a feeling she knew what Levi was up to, and the more she thought about it, she didn't mind. After all, its matchmaking game with Tony and Stephen worked out well enough. Apparently sentient fabric has a knack for that sort of thing.  
  
She rested her arms on the back of Bruce's chair as Levi floated back up to them, depositing a small stack of granola bars and a box of strawberries, and giving her a pointed look.  
  
She laughed, and the cloak flew off to harass someone else.  
  
-  
  
Levi soared up the stairs, following the sudden outpouring of energy it felt coming from the roof. Another player was entering the game, and it had to investigate.  
  
It reached the scene in the middle of a conversation, and hovered off to the side as it watched.  
  
-  
  
Thor was taken aback only a moment before a huge grin split his face. "It seems I _did_  miss a lot!" he shouted jovially. "Though, I have to say: the wizard man? I never would have pegged Tony for the type!"  
  
He walked towards the two, slinging Stormbreaker over his back and grabbing each of them by the shoulders as he led them inside.  
  
"You really must catch me up on everything, I am eager to hear how this happened. Oh, and of course, how you decided on the plan to take down Thanos." He chuckled. "That is important as well."  
  
-  
  
Steve stumbled as he was led through the doors back into the compound. Years spent working with the guy, and yet he never got used to feeling smaller than someone.  
  
"I'm not exactly sure how it happened myself," he said. "To either of your questions. But Tony, Bruce, and Strange came up with a plan somehow, and they needed you for some reason. Now we're all here?"

* * *

Tony did blush a bit at that, but he sauntered closer to whisper in Stephen’s ear, “Maybe if we had that, you could do your multiplication trick and take turns using me with each of your copies.”

  
He moved back to smile innocently at Stephen before he went back to his own work station.  
  
-  
  
Bruce picked up a granola bar and began unwrapping it as he said, “Um... hey, Pepper? Once this is all done, do you think you and I could get dinner sometime?” He spoke quickly and immediately took a bite of granola bar so he wouldn’t talk any more and mess it up.  
  
-  
  
Natasha awkwardly maneuvered herself out of Thor’s hold. “So did you find what you were looking for out there?” she asked the god.

* * *

_Now that's an idea_ , Stephen thought, smirking as Tony turned away. He glanced around, making sure no one was watching, before smacking Tony's ass. He quickly turned back to his spellwork, acting like nothing had happened. 

  
-  
  
Giggling, Pepper brushed a lock of hair behind her ear as she felt her cheeks flame. _God, he's adorable_ , she thought to herself.  
  
"I'd love to, Bruce," she said. "You have somewhere in mind? I know a great little Italian place off of Madison Avenue, back in the city. Or we could go somewhere quieter, if that would make you more comfortable."  
  
She shifted her weight, considering. "Chinese takeout and a movie on the couch is also an option, if you don't feel like going out. Anywhere would be fine with me."  
  
-  
  
Thor shook his head, smile faltering. "No such luck. It seems..." he trailed off, and sighed. "It seems I am the last of the Asgardians, after all."  
  
-  
  
Steve felt the mood shift and put his hand on Thor's back comfortingly. "Don't worry, big guy. You still have us, even if we're poor excuses for gods," he joked, though the sincere undertone in his voice stayed. "You're not alone."  
  
He startled as something soft brushed against his hand, and looked up to see Strange's red cloak had been following them. It was draped over one of Thor's broad shoulders now, pressing the hem of its collar against his stubbly cheek.

* * *

Tony gasped as if offended, glancing back at Stephen. He laughed afterwards, though, amused by his own dramatic response.

  
-  
  
“I’ll see how I feel after being in space again, but right now the Italian sounds nice,” Bruce responded once he finished his bite of granola.  
  
-  
  
“Once we get the snap reversed, you’ll have some of your people back, I’m sure,” Natasha replied. She wasn’t the best with comfort, but she could say that at least.

* * *

Thor smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Natasha," he said, patting her shoulder. "And you, Steve. And you, er..." 

  
He reached up and brushed the stray fabric off his cheek. "Thank you... strange floating cape?"  
  
It slipped off his shoulders, seeming to hover on its own, and spun once before shooting down the hallway to the workshop, beckoning them to follow before slipping through the doors.  
  
Thor quirked an eyebrow at Steve and Nat. "I assume that belongs to Doctor Strange."  
  
-  
  
Steve laughed. "Yeah, that's the wizard's cape alright. We've started calling it Levi for some reason, Bruce won't say why and it seems to like the nickname well enough, so why not?"  
  
He approached the doors as they slid open again, admitting him to the 'nerd lounge', as Pepper had so endearingly nicknamed Tony's workshop.  
  
-  
  
Pepper put her chin on his head and squeezed his shoulders. "It's a date," she said, and stood as the door whooshed open.  
  
"Thor!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "It's great to see you! You're just in time, too. They're almost done." She gestured to where the three men were finishing up their work.  
  
-  
  
Stephen startled as his cloak flew in, settling on his shoulders before the door opened again, admitting three of the original Avengers.  
  
He nodded at Steve and Natasha, and stood to address Thor, who currently had an armful of Pepper Potts. He waited patiently for their reunion to end.

* * *

Bruce stood to greet Thor, saying, “Hey, Thor! Welcome to the party!” He seemed glad the god was there - their time on Sakaar had made their friendship stronger.

  
-  
  
Tony walked up to Thor. “Hey, Point Break. Just wanted to say thanks for finding me on Titan. I never would’ve made it back without you.”  
  
-  
  
Natasha walked around the warm, fuzzy reunion to go check on the scanner progress. Bruce had let her know it was almost done before Stephen did his magic, so she was able to tell it just needed a couple more wires attached.

* * *

Steve quirked a smile, watching his friends flock to Thor. "Hello to you guys too, glad to see I'm so welcomed here," he joked, hands on his hips. 

  
-  
  
Pepper pulled away and slapped Steve on the arm. "We saw you earlier, you don't count." She smiled anyways, pulling him into a brief hug before going to stand next to Bruce.  
  
-  
  
Thor grinned at all the attention. "Bruce!" he shouted jovially, pulling the ruffled-looking man into a bear hug. "It is good to see you again, my friend!"  
  
He pulled back, slinging an arm around his shoulders and addressing Tony. "And you as well, Tony. Glad to see you didn't die after all the work I went through to find you."  
  
He pat the man's back enthusiastically, joking.  
  
-  
  
Stephen watched the happy reunion, waiting for a moment before stepping in.  
  
"Hello again, Thor," he said, raising a hand in greeting instead as the man made as if to hug him. "Punctual as always. Only a few more wire connections and the scanner is ready, and I believe Tony was just finishing with his new toy. We should be ready to head out soon enough."

* * *

Tony awkwardly fist-bumped Steve’s shoulder in recognition. He didn’t know how to act around him still. In response to Thor, he patted the god’s back, since he wasn’t really tall enough to sling an arm over his shoulders as well.

  
-  
  
Bruce somehow looked significantly more ruffled than before, and he attempted to smooth down his clothes. He laughed awkwardly.  
  
-  
  
Natasha laughed a bit at Bruce’s appearance when she looked back at everyone, and she smiled at the fact that the Avengers - or, what was left of them - were back together again.

 

* * *

 

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/158952925@N03/42071216254/in/dateposted-public/)


	17. Chapter 17

Stephen looked around at the group, feeling something similar to what Natasha felt, though he didn't know it. This was the group they put together to save the universe, or what was left of it.    
  
He felt pretty good about their chances.    
  
"Tony, Bruce, if you would join me," he said, gesturing to the two of them in turn. "We have explained the plan in bits and pieces, but I feel as if we should set all the pieces on the table at once.    
  
"Using a combination of technology and magic, we will cover as much ground as possible, scanning for the distinct signature of six Infinity Stones in close proximity to each other." He went to the table where Tony was working and picked up the finished device, bringing it back to the group and showing it off.    
  
"Tony has made a device capable of housing the Infinity Stones, and through an ingenious meshing of technology from all across the Earth, has given us the ability to wield them."    
  
Lowering it, his face turned more serious. "However, we only get one shot at this. The gauntlet that Thanos wields was built using technology way beyond us, as Thor well knows. It can use them individually many times, though channeling their combined power seemed to ruin it.    
  
"With what we have here, we only have enough juice for one use," he said gravely. "We only have one shot at this, so we need to make it count."    
  
He turned to Tony. "You had a plan, once we lured him out, correct?"

* * *

Tony wriggled out of Thor’s grasp to stand next to Stephen to address the group.  


  
“Alright, so my basic plan was to have the Hulk go out first to startle Thanos and draw his attention. The Hulk will engage, and once Thanos is distracted, Stephen, Steve, and Thor will go in to assist and try to hold him down and remove the gauntlet,” he explained.   
  
“We don’t have a great chance of being able to hold him down long, even with the gauntlet being wrecked, so we have to do this fast. Once the gauntlet is removed, it’ll be passed off to me, and I’ll bring it away where Natasha and I will transfer the stones to the crown.”   
  
“It is still undecided who will actually do the wielding.”   
  
At that Bruce’s hand shot up, and Tony called on him - though he made a face at the very classroom-esque behaviour.   
  
“Uh, yeah... I think you should do it, Tony,” Bruce suggested. “I mean, you’ll be right by it and it was kind of your plan.”

* * *

Thor listened, hand still on Bruce's shoulder, until the man spoke up with his input. 

  
"There is a problem," he interjected. "The only reason Thanos is able to do as he does, wielding all six Stones and using them at once, is due to the gauntlet he possesses. If it were any less powerful than an artifact of Nidavellir, it would shatter his mind instantly."    
  
He turned to Tony, adding "Nothing against your inventions, but unless your tiara is crafted in the heart of a dying star, there is no way you would survive the ordeal."    
  
-   
  
Stephen felt his heart drop. He knew there was a catch, he knew this plan wasn't foolproof.    
  
"You can't do it," he said before Tony could get a word in. "I'll fly over, you help hold down Thanos. I'll do it. My magic should be enough to help me, at the very least, and though the chance is very slim, I might live through it."

* * *

“Shut up, Stephen,” Tony responded coolly. He turned back to address the group. “Since I speak for myself, and seeing as several of my own blunders had led this group to break up, which very well may have cost us half the universe, I’m going to shoulder the responsibility.”

  
He didn’t pause as he added in, “And it’s a crown, not a tiara.”   
  
“Tony, it’ll kill you!” Bruce objected. Tony levelled him with a serious stare.   
  
“Yes, but I will be righting half the universe. It’d be my life for theirs. I don’t know, sounds pretty heroic to me,” he said, not an ounce of sarcasm or humor in his voice.   
  
Natasha seemed shocked. She knew Tony was really one to self-sacrifice blindly, but this was too much. Why should they let him do this if nobody was prepared to let Vision make the same sacrifice?

* * *

Steve stepped forward at the same time that Pepper threw herself at Tony. 

  
“Tony don’t you fucking _dare!_ ” she shouted, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. “I’m not gonna lose you again, you can’t just go off into space and _sacrifice_  yourself!”    
  


She gestured at Stephen and the rest of the team, all in similar states of shock. “We can figure out a way to do this where nobody dies! We have to! I’m not losing any of you, not after all we’ve already lost in this damn fight!”   
  
Steve set a hand on her shoulder, trying to soothe her. “I agree,” he said in a much calmer tone. “We can’t sacrifice anyone on this team, not with how few our numbers already are.” He hesitated to add, _And I don’t want to lose you either, no matter how strained things are between us_.   
  
He looked to the sorcerer standing white-faced at Tony’s side. “You, Dr. Strange. Any way to maybe minimize the damage? I don’t know how your thing works exactly, but there has to be something you can do other than just taking the brunt of it yourself.”   
  
Stephen shook his head mutely, eyes flicking through the possibilities but finding no other alternative. “There’s no- there’s no other way,” he stammered. “But you can’t- Tony, you can’t do this. I can’t- we, we can’t lose you.” He gripped Tony’s shoulder. “ _I_  can’t lose you. Please, we have to, I don’t, y-you can’t…” 

Levi took this moment to move, flying over from where it had been witnessing this in the corner, out of the way, and wrapping around Tony's shoulders with a vice-like intensity. 

* * *

Tony clearly hadn’t expected such backlash. He seemed surprised. “Guys, you have to see the bigger picture. Thanos took out Quill. Bucky. Peter! Wanda, T’Challa, should I keep going? My life could save all of theirs.”

  
He turned and looked at Stephen. “And there’s no way in hell I’m letting you sacrifice yourself for me _again.”_

* * *

"You wouldn't let Vision sacrifice himself for this, why do you think that didn't apply to you too?" Steve asked, pushing forward until he could clasp Tony's other arm. Stephen seemed to be eyeing him, but he forged on. 

  
"Tony, I know we've had our differences," he said, lowering his voice, pleading. "but we were friends once. You still mean a lot to me, and I don't want to see you throw yourself away like this. We can find a way."    
  
Thor stepped forward, getting everyone's attention. " If I might," he said. "There might be a way to siphon off the energy expulsion from the stones, if there was a way to connect another device to them. I know we are short on time, but it is an idea."    
  
Stephen's eyes, which had been searching Tony's face, shot to the god at that. "..."    
  
His mind raced into overdrive. "No, that might actually work," he said, rubbing his chin. He grew more animated as the plan fell together. "If I could somehow link mine and Tony's minds, the neural connectors in the crown would have another outlet, thus giving the overload somewhere else to flow."    
  
A grin stretched his face as he turned back to Tony. "I could act as a conduit, directing the pressure out of you, using my powers to release it into the world instead of it being contained in your mind! This might work!"

* * *

Tony stared at Steve for a minute, seeming generally confused at the acceptance. He looked at Stephen when he spoke and his eyebrows shot up.

  
“Yeah! Steve, Thor, and I could hold back Thanos long enough for you to get to Tony and help,” Bruce said to Stephen.   
  
Natasha approached and put a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Tony, you aren’t alone anymore. You haven’t been since the Avengers were founded.”

* * *

Pepper walked up to Bruce, looping her arm with his, and smiled at Tony. "You've always had us, and you always will. You don't have to do this on your own."

  
Thor and Steve watched him, Levi squeezed his shoulders comfortingly, and Stephen slid his hand down Tony's arm until he could link their fingers.    
  
"We are all in this together," he said. "'Till the end of the line."   
  
Steve flinched, but didn't let how Stephen's words struck a chord in him, how achingly familiar they sounded. "There's nothing you can do to get rid of us," he said instead. "So just accept our help, so we can go and kick Thanos's ugly purple ass."

* * *

Tony nodded. “Alright. I’ll go along with the plan, but I’m going to do what I have to.”

  
Bruce grinned. “That won’t be necessary. We’ll be there, the plan will work.”   
  
Natasha squeezed Tony’s shoulder. “You’ll be okay.”

* * *

Thor clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the room like a clap of thunder. "That settles it!" he exclaimed. "Let us activate this scanner and see where our adventure takes us!" 

  
Stephen squeezed Tony's hand in his own briefly, before letting go and picking up the completed scanner. "Bruce, if you would go ahead and alert the big guy his time is coming, I'll begin scanning. It might take a minute to find him, but we stay together until then, in case we get ambushed."    
  
He turned to Pepper. "If you're coming, go suit up. I know you're staying on the sidelines, but anything can happen and I want you to be as protected as possible." He flicked a hand her direction, and a sigil glowed briefly on her forehead before disappearing. "This will warn you of any incoming attacks a few seconds before they happen. It's not much, but with Friday holding your back, it should be enough."    
  
Thor drew his axe, stepping forward. "Everyone, remember to wear air masks. Asgardians can breath in any atmosphere we choose, but Tony and them were lucky Titan had an aerated atmosphere. We might not be so lucky this time."

* * *

“I’m gonna bring a couple suits. He wrecked my nanosuit last time,” Tony commented. Since they were in the lab, he grabbed a few chest pieces and put them in a case and grabbed what looked like a backpack, but it was another suit.

  
He then reluctantly grabbed a set of bracelets and walked over to Pepper, putting them on her wrists. “I made these for you in case you ever needed them. They are linked to a suit for you. Press them together to call it.”   
  
Bruce nodded at the suggestion and shut his eyes briefly to make sure the Hulk was ready.   
  
Natasha picked up a few oxygen masks and distributed them to the people who needed them. They were small and compact, made by Tony a long time ago, right after his space scare during the first battle in New York.

* * *

Pepper felt tears gathering in her eyes. She pulled Tony into a tight hug, not wanting to admit that despite the precautions they were taking, this might be the last time she worked with him. 

  
"Be safe out there," she whispered. "Come find me if you get hurt, I'll have some of those nano-healer injections waiting. I'll stay out of the way, but please, _please_  be careful."    
  
She felt her locket digging into her collarbone as she hugged her best friend, and hoped against hope that she wouldn't ever have to feel it go off.    
  
Stephen shut his eyes, activating the scanner as they talked and organized. He focused, drawing out his power and feeling the scanner expand, covering a large chunk of the galaxy around them. hundred of light-years, millions of miles, all searching for the energy spike of the six Infinity Stones.    
  
He opened his eyes as he felt Thor near him.    
  
"Anything?" the god asked.    
  
Stephen shook his head. "No. Thanos isn't anywhere near. We need to start moving, expand our search."   
  
Thor nodded, stroking his beard. "I guess let's pick a direction and start going."    
  
Levi came over, releasing its hold on Tony, and settled on its sorcerer's shoulders. Stephen quirked a grin and turned to the group.    
  
"Avengers, roll out."

* * *

“I think we should head toward Titan. He probably wouldn’t have gone far,” Bruce suggested, missing the way Tony shivered when he thought about going back.  


  
“Yes, but also - Stephen, was that a Transformers reference?” Tony asked.   
  
Natasha rolled her eyes but said, “How are we going to do this? We can’t all climb onto Thor’s back.”

* * *

Stephen blushed. "I... forgot the team's tagline and panicked." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

  
He realized what Bruce had said and felt phantom ash dust across his skin. Brushing it off surreptitiously, he addressed Nat.    
  
"We'll go in shifts. Me, Thor, and Tony first. While I scope out the place, Thor can go back and get the rest of you in pairs. I can cover a lot of ground in one scan, so it shouldn't take too long to find him. And if he really is on Titan, then might be just the one trip."   
  
Thor nodded, clasping a hand on both Stephen and Tony's shoulders. "Understood. Are you ready?"    
  
As he watched the others take in the plan, Stephen nodded. He looked to Tony. "Don't forget your tiara, dear," he said, smirking.

* * *

“It’s a CROWN,” Tony responded sharply, not actually feeling ready to go back to Titan but steeling himself anyway.

  
He still had the thing on his head so he pulled it off to hold it in one hand, his case of nanosuits in the other, and his bag suit over his shoulder.  
  
"Let's go." 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short one bc still leading up to the big climax, though this isnt the end of things bc this damn thing keeps going and fucking going

With a swing of Stormbreaker and a cacophonous crack of thunder, the Bifrost slammed down on the Earth, scooping them up in it's rainbow light and shooting them across the universe.    
  
Stephen watched stars zip past him, feeling weightless and yet simultaneously as if the weight of the Earth were pressing down on his chest. The tingle of magic swept across his skin, alien to his own, searing hot though it left no mark. He felt alive, charged by the power in it.    
  
In the blink of an eye, it was over. He stumbled as his feet met hard dirt, throwing his arms out for balance and finding Thor already there, holding him and Tony steady.    
  
"Easy, Strange," he laughed. "Your first time on the Bifrost, it's hard to keep your head on. It'll pass."    
  
And it did. Stephen looked around, taking in the dilapidated sights of an all too familiar planet. His arms itched, but he refrained from scratching, instead pulling out his scanner and beginning his search.

* * *

Tony stumbled a bit but otherwise remained upright leaning on Thor. He noticed how Stephen was feeling and walked over to place a hand on his arm comfortingly.

  
“That was a rough landing,” he commented aloud.

* * *

Thor stepped back, raising his axe. "I will be back with the others." In a flash if blinding light and a boom that shook the ground, he disappeared. 

  
Stephen chuckled. "I'm more used to my own landings," he admitted. He closed his eyes and focused, activating the scanner.    
  
His mind fizzled with a bright flash of pain, and he flinched. Blinking open his eyes, Stephen said "Found him."    
  
-   
  
Thanos sat at the edge of his world, alone, and lost in his thoughts.    
  
The wrecked Infinity Gauntlet lay on the ground beside him, abandoned for the past few days as he watched sunset after sunset, unmoving as his mind raced in circles around him. His heart felt heavy, and though he was once so sure in his convictions, it still felt as if a piece of his soul had been ripped away.    
  
He closed his eyes, seeing Gamora's pained face as she fell. He couldn't unsee what he had done, the vision of her hatred and despair seated into his mind's eye.    
  
The ground rumbled. He opened his eyes and looked to the horizon, where he saw a beam if rainbow light fall to the ground. A moment later, it appeared again, and though it was miles away, he saw a dark spot rising through the light before it vanished.    
  
Thanos rose to his feet, a sense of finality falling over him as he slid on the battered gauntlet. The tingle of power he felt in it was weak, but as he clenched his fist, the gems started to glow.    
  
It would be enough.

* * *

While they waited for Thor to return, Tony kissed Stephen gently, trying to reassure him. 

  
“Whatever happens here, I love you,” he told the sorcerer. Despite the revision to the plan, he still knew that he had slim chances of making it out alive.

* * *

Stephen had to swallow the lump of foreboding choking up his throat before he could kiss Tony back, but when he could, he kissed him like it would be the last time he could. 

  
"I love you too, Tony. So much it hurts," he whispered, holding back tears.    
  
The ground tingled again as Thor appeared with Steve and Nat. He made sure they were steady as he had with Tony and Stephen, and in a flash was off again.    
  
Steve was wearing his air mask, had put it on before leaving with the rest of them, but as he took a look around at his surroundings, he spoke.    
  
"Didn't you say Titan had breathable atmosphere?" he asked.

* * *

“Yeah,” Tony said, having not been wearing his own air mask. Neither was Natasha.

  
“Told you that you didn’t have to put it on yet,” the assassin commented. She looked at how close Stephen and Tony were standing, deciding not to comment. For all she knew, that could have been their goodbye.

* * *

"Pardon me for wanting to breathe on an alien planet," Steve muttered, pulling off the mask and tossing it aside. He surveyed the skyline, taking in the ruined state of the ancient city around them.

  
Thor arrived with Bruce and Pepper, who had a case tucked under one arm and the other linked with Bruce's. She stumbled as they landed.    
  
Stephen waited until they were all gathered, and cleared his throat of the anxiety bubbling up. "No doubt with our entrance, he knows we're here. We need to hide immediately. Bruce, whenever your green friend is ready, we need him."    
  
He reached for for Tony one last time, grasping his hand before he let Levi lift them up. The cloak billowed around him, curling around Tony as it did to keep him comfortably steady.    
  
"Everyone, to positions. Wait for my signal, and good luck."    
  
He smiled sadly, a note of finality to his voice as he said "May we make it through this together."

* * *

“I hate this,” Tony repeated quietly the whole time they were flying, and he clung to Stephen.  


  
Natasha ran off to get behind something, and she glanced back at everyone before she hid. She wasn’t one for religion, but if she was, she would be praying.   
  
“Okay, come on big guy. I promise it won’t be like last time. Yes, I know he hit you, but we’ve got to protect Tony,” Bruce spoke quietly as he tried to persuade the Hulk. That seemed to do it, and a few seconds later, the Hulk was standing where Bruce was. He roared.

* * *

Pepper startled at the roar, hand flying to her chest. She watched her friend transform, something she hadn't gotten to see in awhile. It was much more dramatic up close. 

  
Even though time was of the essence and she needed to hide _soon,_ she found herself reaching for the Hulk. Her heart was trying to pound its way out of her chest, but she knew that if she didn't do this, then she would never truly be happy with Bruce.   
  
"Hey," she said, trying to get the Hulk's attention. "We haven't talked much, and I don't know if you feel what Bruce feels, but he and are are getting close. I don't feel it's fair to leave you out if things, though, so if we make it out if this, I was wondering if... you wanted to get to know each other better?"   
  
Steve and Thor threw together a quick plan while they ran for cover, and upon agreeing, parted ways. Thor flew up into the air, Stormbreaker carrying him to the half-caved third floor of a nearby building.  
  
Steve crouched low under some rubble, a chink in the stone giving him a view of where the Hulk and Pepper were still standing. He readied his shield, eyes scanning the sky.   
  
Stephen set them down a ways from the clearing, holding Tony close until their feet were firmly on the ground. "Apologies," he said.   
  
He let go of Tony, holding out his hands as dual sigils appeared in his palms. He watched the Hulk, eyes darting to the horizon and back.   
  
_Any minute now._..

* * *

Tony nodded, muttering, “I forgive you.” The nanosuit he was already wearing wrapped itself around his body as he waited.

  
The Hulk looked down at Pepper and reached out to brush her face gently with a finger. “Hulk like little spice lady. Pepper go hide now.”

* * *

Pepper blushed, smiling as she held the finger against her face a moment longer. She stepped back reluctantly and clicked her bracelets together, activating the suitcase at her feet. The Rescue Mark III fell open, flying to her chest and fully forming over her body in a matter of seconds. She clicked her heels together, shooting into the sky with her first-aid kit under her arm, and flew off to hide. 

  
Not a moment too soon, either. For the moment after she disappeared from sight, the air a dozen yards from where the Hulk stood began to shimmer.    



	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we go lads

Thanos stepped forward through the portal, boots stirring up red dust in the dead air. He surveyed the near-empty scene and smirked.    
  
"When I saw that rainbow earlier," he said to the Hulk as he strolled forward, "I thought I'd find something a little more... challenging, at the end of it."    
  
His eyes darted around, taking in the various hiding spots. He knew they were there.    
  
He wouldn't be taken by surprise a second time.    
  
He readied the gauntlet, the Power Stone glowing a sickly purple as he added "Though I won't mind beating you into submission again, if that's what you really want."

* * *

Tony frowned. He noticed the look around. He knew. Natasha had the same sinking feeling from her own hiding spot.

  
“Puny grape man, stupid glove,” Hulk growled before he let loose another roar and ran at Thanos. He knew, no matter how thick he was, that he needed to stick to the plan.

* * *

Thanos met him halfway, catching his fists and pushing back, grunting at the effort. His feet slid along the ground but he held fast, gritting his teeth and heaving. The Reality Stone flashed, turning the ground underneath the Hulk into wet cement.

  
Stephen watched the scene carefully, waiting until the perfect moment. He'd noticed Thanos's glance as well, but he knew there was nothing else they could do but play along at this point. He just hoped they'd have some sort of element of surprise on the guy, or this was all for naught.    
  
As soon as he saw the ground start to morph, he clenched his fist, sending a signal to the others in the form of a sigil flashing on their wrists. With a flutter of fabric, he rose up and shot towards Thanos like a bullet.

* * *

Tony flew down to Natasha, waiting with her as he watched the Hulk try to hit Thanos.

  
The green monster did his best to move his feet through the wet cement, and with difficulty he took a few steps and pulled a fist back to swing it at Thanos’ head.

* * *

Steve and Thor moved in unison as soon as the signal appeared. Thor flew into the air, raising his axe to the heavens, and called down a lightning bolt to slam into Thanos. 

  
Steve ran forward, leaping off of pieces of rubble, working his way higher and higher until he leapt into an open space.    
  
Thor appeared beneath him and he latched onto Stormbreaker, using Thor's swinging momentum to launch himself into the air, shield aiming straight for Thanos's throat.    
  
Stephen shot forward, turning his head as the lightning struck, reaching out with a whip of crackling golden magic that wrapped around Thanos's arm. He soared past, pulling it with him until he was yanked to a stop. Levi shuddered under his shoulders, pulling as hard as possible to keep them in the air.    
  
"Now!" he shouted.    
  
-   
  
Thanos grunted again as the Hulk's fist connected with his jaw, and he was nearly blasted off his feet by the sudden lightning. He held his ground, looking up in time to see Strange zip past him. Something burning wrapped around his wrist, pulling it to the side, but he managed to brace himself as he waited patiently.    
  
"You think that's enough to stop me?" he taunted.    
  
__ One, two, three. Fourth incoming. Two more to go.    
  
Chuckling darkly, he felt the ripple of energy in the gauntlet waiting for the right moment to strike. "You can do better than that!"

* * *

Tony began to get worried. It wasn’t technically part of the plan for him to assist in getting the gauntlet off, but he knew it wasn’t going to be enough. He put the backpack on fully, but Natasha stopped him.

  
“Give them a bit longer,” she said, and he trusted her instinct.   
  
The Hulk kept up the assault, trying to keep a majority of Thanos’ attention on him.

* * *

Thanos stepped back, blocking as many punches as he could with one arm pulled away. He growled, yanking the magic rope down, bringing Stephen crashing to the ground faster than his cape could save him. 

  
Stephen cried out, landing hard on his shoulder. He held onto the whip, but when Thanos yanked him up for another attack, he was forced to let the rope dissolve. Instead, he summoned his sigils, throwing them at Thanos like daggers.    
  
He looked up just in time to catch Steve by the throat, the man's shield glancing off his arm. He smiled cruelly at the look of anger in Steve's face, hiding the fear that shone in his eyes.    
  
Thanos raised his hand and the Time Stone flashed briefly, slowing Thor to a halt before he could slam into Thanos with his axe. He twisted his wrist, pulling Thor back through time until he found himself back at the building, shouting in outrage.    
  
Feeling tired of playing these people's games, Thanos ducked his head, dodging a punch from the green monster. Clenching his fist, he raised it, the Power Stone flashing bright purple, before a wave of energy shot out, sweeping across the battlefield and catching everyone in it in agonizing pain.

* * *

Natasha cried out in pain and Tony collapsed, but that was the last straw. After he recovered, he opened his case of nanosuits and tossed them everywhere - there were at least ten - and he tossed the backpack off. In a few seconds, there were quite a few Iron Man suits formed on the field, and he flew up himself.

  
“Friday - find any opening and get the stones, with or without the gauntlet,” he said. Then, he and his army of suits went after Thanos.   
  
The Hulk went down with everyone else, but when he heard Tony, he roared and got back up to go after Thanos again.   
  
Natasha came out then, knowing they had to go all in, and pulled the massive gun she had brought off her back. She began firing it at Thanos, shooting some sort of energy beam like the Chitauri had used.

* * *

Stephen had fallen to the ground, the phantom pains and feelings of dissolving attacking him almost worse than the violet energy that swarmed him. He gasped as his eyes opened, Levi wrapped around him, pulling him up and into the air, urging him to keep fighting. 

  
He did so, managing to fire off a few sigils before taking a deep breath and diving into the action with his whips.    
  
Steve was dropped to the ground, curling in on himself, before gritting his teeth and rolling away. He rolled to his feet, shield out again, and turned to face where the Chitauri beams were coming from.    
  
"Nat, shield!" he shouted, running towards her and bracing himself on the ground, his shield above his head.    
  
Thor shook himself, enraged, and flew back towards Thanos. He faltered in his flight when the wave of energy hit him, but forged through it and slammed into Thanos's side, pushing away before he could react and swinging Stormbreaker at his head.    
  
Thanos cursed, wishing the gauntlet weren't as damaged as it was or this battle would have been over before it began. He waved his hand, the Mind Stone glowing as the Hulk descended on him.    
  
He pushed, calling to the weaker man inside, pulling on his mind, clawing it free of the stronger, greener prison it was in. He needed to get this one out of the game, so he could focus, and what better way to do that than to force his transformation?

* * *

The Hulk roared, but for once, Bruce was fighting against transforming back. The transformation seemed to start happening, but even as it began, the Hulk continued to fight.

  
As this occurred, two of the Iron Man suits crashed into the gauntlet, and the nanotech tried to wrap around one of the stones and pull. The goal was no longer to get the gauntlet, it was to get the stones.   
  
“Do you have an ounce of regret? For killing so many? For killing the people closest to you?” Tony said, his voice resounding from every suit.   
  
Nat jumped onto the shield and braced herself for launch, continuing to fire in the split second that she waited.

* * *

Steve pushed up, throwing Nat high into the air and rolling out of the way as an Iron Man suit shot past him. He kept the momentum going, rising to his feet in a split second and running towards Thanos. 

  
Thanos lost his hold on the Hulk as Thor hit him, ducking his head in time to avoid the axe to the throat. He braced himself on one knee, a blow to the head from a sigil knocking his balance off and a shot from Natasha's gun blinding him. He felt something wrench his arm back, pulling at the gauntlet, and he growled as he noticed the nanobots swarming the stones.    
  
"You don't get to talk to me about death, Iron Man," he gritted out, trying to pull the gauntlet away from the nanobots but failing as they simply followed his movements. "You were once the man you hated, killing for profit and selling weapons of mass destruction to the highest bidder. You know _nothing_  of my motivations."    
  
Though even as he said that, Gamora's face flashed in his eye again. He faltered, and in that moment, the Space Stone was pried loose.    
  
" _No!_ " he shouted, swiping at it in vain as it ascended and flew off. He clenched his fist again, the Power Stone flashing and disintegrating the nanobots still attached.    
  
Stephen zipped by, creating a small portal to get the stone to Tony faster, and shot up in the air as the Power Stone let loose another blast of energy. He crossed his wrists in front of him, murmuring a spell as runes manifested around him, spinning faster and faster until a blast of golden energy beamed out of the circle and slammed into Thanos, throwing him off his feet.    
  
Thor summoned another lightning bolt that traveled through Thanos's body, making him scream as the gauntlet convulsed on his hand. He grinned, swooping in for another attack.

* * *

More nanobots kept appearing as the suits latched on to the gauntlet, the one suit that wasn’t nano staying back and shooting.

  
Tony was up in the air, and when the space stone got to him, he fitted it into the crown.   
  
Natasha landed on Thanos’ chest and growled, “You are nothing.” She fired a shot directly at his face, point blank, then jumped off of him, where she was caught by the metal Iron Man suit and lifted into the air, making way for Thor.   
  
The Hulk stood on Thanos’ right arm and smashed his fists down onto the Titan.   
  
Tony did a quick scan before he spoke again. “Gamora, was it? At least I never sacrificed those I called my family in the name of murder.” He realized that the guilt card could break through Thanos’ concentration, so he pressed on.   
  
He didn’t feel guilty because he realized he would most likely end this battle by sacrificing himself.

* * *

Stephen found his opening and summoned another two whips, flying in circles around the titan, dodging his teammates, until he had Thanos's legs tied together. Stopping short, he yanked back, keeping him from standing back up. 

  
The point-blank blast made Thanos's head snap to the side, burning pain shooting through his face as he cried out in pain. The Mad Titan gasped, feeling his control on the stones slip, and the Mind and Soul Stones flew away.    
  
Tony's words were affecting him badly, and frustrated tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. " _No!_ " he shouted again, activating the Reality Stone.    
  
Vines burst from the ground, wrapping around the Hulk, Steve, and Thor, who'd made the mistake of touching the ground.    
  
Thanos struggled to his feet, stumbling back a few feet as the Reality Stone cast his face in red shadows. "It was necessary," he protested, "for the greater good of the universe. I didn't _want_  to do it!"    
  
Stephen yanked again on the whips, bringing the titan back to his knees.

* * *

Tony was beginning to lose his own control. “Does this seem _better_  to you? People on Earth have killed themselves because their whole family turned to dust. You killed children!” He put the stones into place as they got to him.

  
“No, you’re too caught up in your god complex to realize you are not a god. You are insane, your views warped and unrealistic. Instead of helping the universe with the power you had gained, you _destroyed_  it.”   
  
Natasha and the suit she was on shot at the vines to break them, and the Hulk broke free, jumping as high as he could before he fell back down to land on Thanos with a roar.

* * *

Beyond all reason, Thanos felt something crack when the Hulk landed on him. He moaned in pain, fire spreading through his chest. He hadn't felt something so painful for as long as he could remember. 

  
His head was spinning and his conviction was wavering, but he managed to spit out a blood-flecked response. "I did what had to be done," he mumbled, even though his heart wasn't in it. He had come too far to admit his mistakes. He had done too much, Gamora's last frightened cry ringing in his ears with the blows that rained down around him.    
  
Thor shook himself loose from the now-dead vines and charged, bringing Stormbreaker down on Thanos, pinning the arm with the gauntlet to the ground at the shoulder.    
  
The titan screamed, his cry sending a bolt of energy from the Power Stone to slam into Thor, throwing him back even as the Time Stone was ripped from the socket on Thanos's thumb.    
  
Thor landed hard, the ruins under him crumbling from the force, and didn't move.    
  
Steve shouted over the din. "Pep, help Thor!"    
  
Pepper had been watching from the sidelines, frozen in terror. She hadn't left the Rescue suit, too terrified of what might happen if she found herself unarmed, and thankfully so as she heard Steve's shout.    
  
She rushed into action, flying to where Thor lay and breaking open a nano-tube. They swarmed out, circling his head and attaching to his many wounds. In a second, he was awake again.

* * *

“You didn’t. But now _we’re_  doing what has to be done,” Tony responded gravely, his tone implying more to his team than to Thanos.

  
The Hulk stayed on Thanos to keep him down. They were so close. He watched as the remaining nanobots tugged at the last stones.   
  
Natasha stayed near Thanos on the suit, gun aimed at him in case he tried anything else. Victory seemed close, but they had been close before.

* * *

Thor clapped Pepper on her metal-covered shoulder. "Come, Miss Potts, we are almost done. You can stop hiding now." He flew back into the fray without another word, aiming his axe at the prone Titan, electricity crackling in his hands and his eyes. 

  
Pepper felt a weight begin to hesitantly lift off her shoulders as she followed, the Rescue suit allowing her to hover near Nat. Her healing supplies were abandoned; they had won this fight easier than they thought they would.   
  
She didn't stop to think that it had been almost _too_  easy.   
  
"You can't... _possibly_  wield the power of the Stones," Thanos grunted, struggling to sit up with the weight of the Hulk on his damaged chest and the wound from Stormbreaker burning his flesh. He kicked out, attempting to dislodge the magical ropes binding his ankles, but Stephen sent a shock through them that sent his head spinning again. "The power..." he said, words eluding him. "The power, it would... it would shatter your mind..."   
  
The Reality Stone snapped free, flying straight for Tony's crown almost by itself, the draw from its brethren enough to outstrip the nanobots carrying it.   
  
Stephen kept an eye on Pepper, knowing the battle was almost at an end but feeling something dark hanging over them. She needed to get away _right now_ , but he didn't know why, and all his concentration was being used to keep Thanos down as he struggled and fought to free himself.

* * *

“You think I care?” Tony responded darkly, his entire focus on watching Pepper. He did not like how close she was.

  
Natasha turned and looked at Pepper. “Back up,” she said, her gut telling her that something was very wrong.   
  
The Hulk struggled to keep his balance atop Thanos, but he stayed for now.

* * *

With a resounding _crack,_ the Power Stone broke loose, and time seemed to slow to a crawl.   


  
Stephen saw it and moved to follow, Levi whipping around him as he launched himself towards Tony. He turned away just in time to miss his sigil flashing on Pepper's forehead- the one that warned of imminent danger.   
  
Pepper shifted to back up but missed her mark at the sudden glow in her face, the Rescue suit sending her drifting towards Thanos instead while she was distracted.   
  
The Mad Titan twisted, knocking the Hulk's grip loose long enough to reach to his boot, drawing out a three-foot-long starforge dagger- his last defense. He swung wildly, aiming at the Hulk, but finding someone else in his way entirely.   
  
With a sickening _shink,_ his dagger sank into the metal of Pepper's suit like it was butter, straight through her thigh and out the other side.

* * *

 _“Pepper!“_ Tony shouted, his cry deafening. “Stephen, go to her!” He watched, unable to help as he saw his best friend become seriously injured.

  
The Hulk let out a heartbroken roar and crushed his fists down onto Thanos.   
  
Natasha shouted and shot the blade so it broke, then she maneuvered the suit she was on to catch Pepper.   
  
Tony watched helplessly as the last stone slotted itself into the crown. He had to do it now.

* * *

Levi jerked Stephen around, trying to pull him towards Pepper, but Stephen fought back. He knew something was about to happen, he needed to keep moving, _he needed to get to Tony_.   


  
"Levi, let me _go!"_ he roared, anger flaring white-hot as his magic lashed out.   
  
The cloak only tugged harder, dragging him towards where Pepper was now lying limp in Nat's arms.   
  
Stephen felt tears of frustration slipping down his face. He reached up, pushing Levi off his shoulders and falling to the ground. Stumbling as he caught himself, he pushed off, sigils on his heels boosting his speed as he rushed towards where Tony was preparing to use the crown.   
  
"Tony, _wait!"_ he shouted, though some part of him knew his struggle with the cloak made him too late to help.

* * *

“I’m sorry, Stephen,” Tony mumbled. The Iron Man mask dissipated and he set the crown atop his head. 

  
“Hey Thanos!” he shouted as the stones began to glow. He flipped the Titan off. “Eat shit.”  
  
The Hulk turned and yelled, “NO!”  
  
“Tony, _no!”_ Natasha shouted, right when the first flash of light came from the crown.

* * *

Stephen felt the first wave of energy slam into him, pushing him back on his feet. He dug his heels in, blinking spots out of his eyes, his body already moving forward again before he told it to. His stomach dropped, though he realized something was off about the timing. 

  
_"TONY!"_   
  
He threw himself at Tony right before the second blast hit, and once again, time went still.    
  
He felt his fingers slide into thick hair, pulling Tony close in desperation.    
  
He felt the searing heat as the Infinity Crown activated, the metal glowing white-hot with too much power overloading the circuits.    
  
He felt his lips meet Tony's, right as a nuclear bomb went off in front of him.    
  
And then he felt nothing, for what seemed like a long, long time.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> begone, THOT

Tony opened his eyes to a graveyard. He looked around and read the names, one of them being Peter Parker. As he watched, each gravestone turned to dust and floated away on a pleasant breeze before he turned and saw a little girl.   
  
“Are you Gamora?” he asked softly, walking to her and sitting in front of her. She nodded, so he continued. “I fixed it. I fixed what Thanos did.” She smiled, so he smiled back.   
  
She turned and left, and Tony turned around to look over the meadow, fully expecting this to mean he died. He only regretted that he would be leaving behind those he loved.   
  
He laid on his back and smiled, looking up at the clouds he knew weren’t real. “You really did it this time, Stark.”

* * *

Stephen awoke with his arms crossed over his chest, laying on the hard ground in what seemed like a beautiful meadow. He sat up quickly, eyes scanning for Tony, but instead landing on the gravestone behind his head. 

  
'Dr. Stephen Strange,' it read, though the large crack bisecting the stone made it difficult to tell.    
  
As he watched, it and all the others surrounding it crumbled into dust, until he was left sitting on an empty plot of land.    
  
He noticed a little girl walking towards him and shot to his feet, a question on his lips before he noticed her skin.    
  
She was green.

"Hello...?" he cautiously asked. "Gamora?"    
  
She smiled at him and nodded, a knowing glint in her eye, and glanced over her shoulder. Following her gaze, Stephen noticed a figure laying on the ground.    
  
He stepped forward, before turning back to her. "I-"    
  
But she was gone, vanished into thin air, though she didn't leave any dust behind like the headstones had.    
  
Stephen turned back to the body and began walking towards it, hoping against hope it was who he thought it was.

* * *

Tony sat up and looked at Stephen.

  
“Hey, Potter,” he said with a grin, not outright saying how glad he was to see Stephen, but his expression definitely showing it.   
  
“This place is beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked softly, looking around. “Took a lot of effort... but we did it, didn’t we?”

* * *

Stephen sat down next to the man, quiet and contemplative. 

  
"We did, didn't we?" he whispered. He looked down at his lap, where his hands rested. He stretched his fingers; here, wherever they were, his hands were perfect again. Unscarred, mobile, as steady as they were years ago.   
  
He felt something inside him break at how _wrong_  it felt, and tears began to fall.

* * *

Tony looked at him and scowled, reaching out to wipe away the tears. His hands didn’t really feel like it touched Stephen’s face.

  
“Hey, don’t cry, Stephen. It’s gonna be okay. I promise,” he stated simply, feeling incredibly brave for someone who may already be dead.   
  
“You’ve got people waiting for you at home now. Everyone will wake up in their home. You have to go get Peter and make sure he’s with his Aunt, okay?” he asked. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Stephen’s cheek, but it felt wrong, different. “I love you.”

* * *

Stephen grasped at Tony's hands, trying to pull him into a proper kiss, but it felt like he was trying to hold onto water. Tony seemed to slip right through his fingers, his image wavering, the world they were in shimmering as Stephen felt something tugging painfully in his chest. 

  
"Tony, I-I don't want you to, I don't-" he stammered, blinking through the tears to get one last look at his partner's face. "I don't want you to go," he finally managed to get out, right as the world turned white at the edges. "I don't want you to go," he repeated. "I don't want you to go, I don't-"    
  
Something sharp yanked him away, vision going black as he lost his breath in a scream.

* * *

Tony felt his heart break as he heard those words, so similar to the ones Peter had said.  


  
“Make sure they’re okay,” he said right before Stephen disappeared. He sighed, by himself again. He decided there would be nothing better to do in his time there than watch the clouds.   
  
He didn’t even realize that there was no arc reactor in his chest there.

* * *

Stephen awoke slowly, ears ringing, head felt stuffed full of cotton. He was laying facedown on something hard, and every part of his body ached. 

  
He slowly lifted his head, every movement sending dull spikes of pain through him. His limbs felt like they weighed a million pounds, but he needed to know, he needed to _see_.    
  
His eyes focused slowly, bringing Tony's slackened face into view, and his world stopped.    
  
He looked peaceful, as if he were sleeping. The ever-present crease in his brow had smoothed over, leaving him with what looked almost like a smile on his face. He was sprawled on the ground where he fell, the Infinity Crown shattered around his head like a demented halo. The stones were faintly glowing.    
  
Stephen dragged himself up more, pulling across Tony's chest until he could cup his face with shaky hands. His gloves, one of the most thoughtful gifts he'd ever received, were singed beyond repair, the wiring fried and useless.    
  
He brought his forehead to Tony's, tears falling and creating dirty streaks through the dust on his face.    
  
"Tony," he cried, "Tony, you couldn't- you can't-" He sucked in a breath, head tilting to the sky as he screamed " _Tony!_ "   
  
His magic flared around him, angry tendrils of light whipping out and stirring up the dust around them. A shockwave of energy pulsed out, a gust of wind swirling up around them, ripping up debris and sending dangerous shrapnel flying, but Stephen didn't notice. He didn't care.    
  
Not anymore.    
  
Turning his head at a groan, Stephen saw through his tears a large figure pushing himself up from the ground. Thanos rubbed his head, clearly waking up after being knocked out as well.    
  
Stephen's grief turned to icy rage, and he saw red.    
  
The others were slowly coming to, and they did so to see Stephen rise to his feet, the cloak settling on his shoulders at the flick of a hand. He stalked forward, his stance dangerous as a predator robbed of its prey.    
  
He approached Thanos, who looked up in time to meet Stephen's silver-green eyes, crackling with a red-gold intensity that set his teeth on edge.    
  
" _ **You're going to regret what you did**_ ," Stephen hissed, a thousand inhuman voices layering over his own, like something rasping deep from the pits of Hell.    
  
He raised a hand, poisonous red runes he'd never dared summon swirling around his fingers, which for the first time, were steady without the gloves.    
  
" ** _You shall never know another day of peace_** ," he said, his voice booming, carrying across the battlefield. " ** _You are banished to the Realm of Everlasting Torture to live out the rest of your days, until we can safely pass judgement on your sins. Until then, Mad Titan, begone_**"    
  
One of the runes detached from the others and floated towards Thanos. He tried to swipe it away, something horrified creeping up inside him, but it passed right through his hands and gently touched his forehead.    
  
He screamed as a soul-deep pain overwhelmed his senses, his vision going white.    
  
Stephen watched as the Mad Titan cried out, his outline flashing white before he disappeared.     
  
Watching in horror, the other Avengers witnessed this cold destruction, and didn't know what to do until Stephen crumbled to his knees, a sob tearing from his throat.

* * *

The Hulk walked to where Tony was, and he muttered, “Little metal man...?” He shrunk and green gave way to skin until Bruce was left, covered in stretched cloth and kneeling beside Tony.

  
Natasha looked to Stephen, concern and grief overwhelming her eyes but her expression remained stony. She looked back at Pepper.

* * *

Pepper was breathing heavily, head spinning. Her leg was on fire. She moaned. 

  
"What...?" she managed to get out. She lifted her pounding head, and coughed. "What happened?"    
  
Steve was pushing himself to his feet, having been thrown by the blast from the crown. He wobbled over to Pepper and Natasha and fell to his knees.    
  
"Thor, get the healing kit," he shouted, putting pressure on her leg to stem the blood flow.    
  
The god nodded and shot off to where Pepper had helped him, digging through the rubble before unearthing an injector. He flew back, handing it to Natasha.    
  
"Will she be okay?" he asked, worried for his friend.    
  
Stephen staggered to his feet, moving until he could collapse at Tony's side again. He cupped his face, tears falling freely as he vainly checked for a sign of life. But his hands were too shaky to read his pulse, so he turned to Bruce with a pleading look in his eyes.    
  
"Please," he whispered hoarsely. "Please tell me he isn't dead. Please tell me he's alive, or else just kill me now so I can join him."

* * *

Bruce gently moved his hand to find a pulse, and a spark of hope lit up his eyes.

  
“It’s barely there, but he’s hanging on. We need to get him back to the med bay,” Bruce responded quickly. “Whatever you did, it stopped the crown from killing him.”   
  
Natasha took the injector, and she used it on Pepper’s leg before she pulled out the blade and watched the wound begin to clot and heal.   
  
“You’ll be fine, Pepper,” Natasha said, trying to distract from the fact that Tony was very close to death, and the locket on Pepper’s neck that was protected by the armor in the blast was going haywire.

* * *

"Where-" Pepper coughed again as her skin began the painful process of knitting itself back together. "Where's Tony? Did we win?" Something was flashing in her eyes, buzzing with a fevered intensity, but she couldn't remember what it was. It felt important. 

  
Stephen looked up sharply, Thor's name on his lips, but the god had beaten him to the punch. He appeared and scooped Tony up in his massive arms, Stormbreaker out and poised to call the Bifrost.    
  
"I will be back," he said, and the light slammed into him as he disappeared.    
  
Stephen buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking with the force of his sobs  He felt Levi curl the hem of its collar up, wiping at his tears, and he clenched his fist into the fabric to ground himself enough to stand.    
  
"We need to keep a lookout," he said, struggling to sound strong through the break in his voice. "No telling where the others will appear, now that the snap has been reversed."

* * *

Natasha sighed. “He took the brunt of the power from the stones. Bruce says he’s hanging on, but barely,” she told Pepper quietly.

  
Bruce placed a hand on Stephen’s shoulder. “I’ll do my best to keep him with us.”

* * *

Steve limped over to Stephen and clasped his other shoulder in sympathy. Tony's too-still body was still seared into his mind, but he pushed past his grief to comfort the sorcerer. "He'll make it through, just like we all will. Come on, we need to get back to Earth."    
  
Stephen nodded, thankful for his friends' words of comfort. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his shoulders slouched. "Go on ahead, I'll follow.    
  
Pepper closed her eyes, angry at her friend for doing something so incredibly stupid, but knowing deep down that it was the only way.    
  
"Thanks, Nat," she murmured, the blood loss pulling her from consciousness. Her head dropped onto Natasha's thigh as she passed out. 


	21. Chapter 21

Peter opened his eyes - in his apartment with Aunt May. He was in his bed, and he sat up quickly. “Aunt... Aunt May?!”   
  
He looked around, trying to connect how he got home. He was still in the Iron Spider suit, so it wasn’t a dream.

* * *

May Parker had been staring at nothing, the news feed running non-stop on her TV for the past week. She hadn't eaten much, and only slept when her body gave out on her. 

  
She hadn't expected the world to end when she wished Peter good luck on his field trip, that day so long ago. She had managed to squeeze a promise to leave his Spiderman duties at rest for just one day and have fun, to calm her frayed nerves. He had left with a smile, a hug, and a 'See you when I get back!'  
  
She hadn't expected the sudden alien invasion while she was out, shocking her out of her errands when a spaceship shaped like a ring touched down in the middle of the city. She was instantly worried for her nephew; there was no way he wouldn't hear about this, and knowing him, he would risk everything to save his city. She'd hoped the Avengers would be enough to stop it, but when word that Iron Man was last seen flying to the escaping ship only to not be heard from again, she tried to contact Peter. He never responded.   
  
She hadn't expected what came next, after all the worrying and crying and hoping, so much hoping that things would be okay. New York was used to alien attacks- hell, _Earth_  was used to them, and they'd always come out the other side okay for the most part. This time shouldn't be any different.   
  
But when the neighbor she was talking with screamed, his skin turning to dust and crumbling before her very eyes, she felt something like dread drop heavy in her stomach.   
  
She'd run outside, only to be met with the same scene. People from all over town, and later, she discovered, the world, were crumbling to ash with no apparent pattern. People she'd known, people she hadn't, people in the middle of cleanup after the attack, and most of all, she didn't know where her nephew was and she was scared for herself, yes- _What if I'm next?_  -but moreso she was so, so scared for Peter.   
  
She'd waited, bated breath, after the catastrophe seemed to slow. People stopped disappearing, but still no word from Peter. She'd reached out, trying to find someone who knew where he was, who knew of his fate, but half the people she reached out to were gone.   
  
She'd tried, hoping against hope, to contact Tony Stark, thinking maybe he knew where her boy was. But he'd never returned her calls. Initially, she'd worried he was one of the ones dusted too, but not too long after the war, she saw a newsfeed of his, talking about the cleanup and how they needed to band together to keep things running in the wake of the tragedy they'd experienced.   
  
He was avoiding her, which could only mean one thing.   
  
She had fallen into a depression, thoughts of how she'd failed Peter swimming through her head as she vainly watched the news, hoping they found him with one of the survivors they were constantly discovering.   
  
And that was where she was, when it felt like something warm shot through her. She'd shot upright, confused, but nothing seemed to happen after that. She was about to lay back down on the couch, where she'd been unmoving for the past week, when she heard it.   
  
Peter's voice.   
  
She tried not to hope, knowing this might be a figment of her grief-stricken imagination, but slowly stood and made her way to his room.   
  
"Peter...?" she croaked, her voice rough from disuse. Pushing open his bedroom door, she stopped, tears filling her eyes.   
  
"Peter?" She wanted to believe, she wanted _so much_ , that she really did see him laying in his bed in some technologically advanced version of his suit, but she didn't want to be crushed if it was just a hallucination.

* * *

Peter jumped up, his suit opening and staying on the bed. He was still wearing the normal Spider-Man outfit underneath.

  
“Aunt May!” he shouted as he ran to her and pulled her into a hug. “I’m here, I’m okay...”

* * *

Her mouth opened and closed in shock, unable to process the sudden turn of events. Her hands settled carefully on his back, feeling the very real fabric of his suit. She reached up, running fingers through his hair, and pulled away. 

  
"It's really..." she started, before it hit her. She pulled him into a tight hug, a sob wrenching itself out of her throat. "Oh my God, it's really you!" she cried. "You're here, you're alive, you're back, oh my baby boy you're okay!"    
  
She sobbed into his hair, her legs giving out beneath her as she crumpled to the floor with Peter still in her arms.

* * *

Peter hugged May tightly. “I don’t know what happened, but I think we’re all back... I think everyone that disappeared is home...” he mumbled. He was so happy.  


  
His mind tried to block out what that dimension was like, that in-between. He remembered it briefly before he shook it off. He was okay now, he was home.

* * *

May cradled his head, kissing his forehead and holding onto him like she never wanted to let go again. 

  
"All that matters is that you're home," she whispered.    
  
"You're safe."

* * *

“I missed you. A lot,” Peter admitted. He had thought about Aunt May a lot when he could, in between times of forgetting himself. “I’m glad you’re okay...”

* * *

May held Peter in her arms for a bit until she managed to calm down. She pulled back finally, wiping her tears away with a relieved laugh. 

  
"So what happened out there?" she asked in a joking manner to lighten the mood, curious to know but fearing the answer and covering it with humor to keep herself sane. "Did you go to space? Did you fight aliens?"

* * *

“Yeah!” Peter responded, getting excited suddenly. “There was Drax and he was all serious but really funny, and Mantis was cool and had antennas and Peter Quill was a human and thought Footloose was the greatest movie ever made and there was this wizard named Strange and... and Mr. Stark made me an Avenger!”

  
He spoke very quickly, doing a little imitation of each person he mentioned, but his face suddenly fell after he finished. “Where’s Mr. Stark? Did he make it back okay?”

* * *

May smiled fondly at her nephew's excited jabbering, but made a face at mention of the billionaire's name. 

  
"He did, yeah. Made some speeches a week or so ago I think, I wasn't really paying attention." Her mind had been too numb at the time to really focus, except to acknowledge the fact that he was ignoring her calls.    
  
"I'd say you should go talk to him, let him know you're okay, but I don't like that man," she admitted. "He let you go into space like that, and let whatever happened to you happen. You don't need to be around that, it's too dangerous."

* * *

“He didn’t _let_  me,” Peter started. “He tried to make me come home, and I didn’t listen.” He looked a bit guilty. “Aunt May... his face when I started to... he probably thinks it’s his fault.  


  
He looked down. “Can you see if he’s said anything about the people who are coming back yet? After that, will you come with me to the Avengers base?”

* * *

May felt her heart clench, and though she didn't want to, said "Of course, honey. Let's go see what's going on, and then we can talk with Mr. Stark." 

  
She pulled him in for another hug, pressing a kiss to the top of his head, and pulled away. "First, I need to take a shower. I haven't bathed in days, ugh." She sniffed her armpit and made a face. "Yeah, definitely a shower and a change of clothes. I don't know what happened between space and now, but you might need one too."

* * *

“You take one first. I’m going to call ahead,” Peter said. He smiled at his aunt. “A shower sounds really nice.”


	22. Chapter 22

Stephen stumbled through the portal into the compound's medbay, arriving just in time to see a team of doctors pushing a gurney into the ER. Tony's limp body was on it, and Stephen longed to reach out and grasp his hand.    
  
A ringing sounded from somewhere on Tony's body.    
  
"Boss's phone is ringing," Friday announced. "It is the young Mr. Parker."    
  
Stephen's eyes widened. "Levi-" he started, but the cloak was way ahead of him. It swooped over and snatched the phone out of Tony's pocket, diving through the doors right before they closed. Bringing the ringing phone to its sorcerer's ear, it landed gracefully back on his shoulders.    
  
Stephen answered the phone. "Hello? Peter, is that you?"

* * *

“Mr. Strange? You’re okay? When did you get back? What happened? Where’s Mr. Stark?” Peter launched right into a stream of questions, feeling very confused that the sorcerer had answered the phone.

* * *

Stephen choked before he could say anything, emotion clogging his throat. He watched through the window on the ER door as the surgeons quickly prepared Tony for operation. 

  
"Everything's okay," he managed to say, though it hurt. "We beat... we beat Thanos. We got the Infinity Stones, and we beat him."    
  
The stones were burning a metaphorical hole in his robes pocket, having been scooped up last minute and contained in a magical sphere to keep him from coming in contact with them. They had agreed that leaving them on Titan would be a mistake, so they were going to go to a high-security vault deep underneath the Avenger's compound until something else could be figured out. He was holding onto them for the time being, and that much concentrated power so close was putting his teeth on edge.

* * *

“That’s wonderful! But... um... but why didn’t Mr. Stark answer?” Peter asked slowly. He was standing nervously in front of his bedroom door. He was hoping desperately that Tony was okay.

* * *

Stephen was worried he'd ask that. "Tony, he's..." 

  
Stephen shuddered and curled in on himself, shoulders slouching. "He's... hurt. Bad. Very bad. We don't know if he's going to be okay, but he's alive."   
  
_For now,_  remained unspoken.

* * *

Peter was silent for a long while. He, like many others, always saw Tony Stark as the Invincible Iron Man. _Invincible_.

  
“Aunt May and I are coming up. Are you at the Avengers base? Upstate?” he asked quietly.

* * *

The sorcerer wanted to tell him to stay, he wanted the boy to not come all the way up here, but he felt the pain in his voice through the phone. He knew Peter needed this, and he felt like he might need it too. 

  
"Yes, Peter. We're at the base, but don't worry about coming up. Give me a moment to drop something off and I'll come get you."

* * *

“Okay. I have to take a shower, so take your time,” Peter responded, his voice clearly choked. He was having a hard time holding back tears. “I’ll see you soon.”

* * *

"See you." Stephen hung up, slipping Tony's phone into his other pocket. With one last look through the window into the ER, he opened up a portal to the Sanctum. 

* * *

Peter hung up and began to silently cry. He sat on the couch, defeated. He eventually put his head into his hands as he waited for May to come out of the shower.

* * *

May took her time, washing off the weeks of regret and despair in the burning water, scrubbing her scalp until it felt raw and open, like her heart. She cleaned off the bad feelings, sighing as she stepped out of the shower feeling alive again. 

  
She wrapped herself up in a robe and dried her hair before wrapping it in the towel, and left the bathroom to get Peter.    
  
"Hey Pete, it's your turn-" she started, but stopped when she saw him.    
  
She sat down on the couch next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" she asked.

* * *

“They said... Mr. Stark... is really hurt,” Peter explained through sobs. “They don’t know if... he’ll make it.”

* * *

"Oh, honey," she said, pulling him into a tight hug and letting him cry on her shoulder. "It's okay, I'm sure they'll fix him right up. He'll be okay, I promise."

* * *

“He fought Thanos— who—-“ Peter sniffed and gave another sob. “Who knows?” He tried to wipe away his tears. “I g-gotta take a sh-shower.”

* * *

May cupped his cheek, brushing his tears away with her thumb. She knew how much the man meant to Peter, and though she had her reservations about him, she couldn't help but hope as well. 

  
Pulling him in for one last brief hug, she let him go and stood up. "You do that, I'm gonna go put some clothes on. I left plenty of hot water for you."    
  
She kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Peter. Everything will be okay."

* * *

Peter nodded, and got up. He went and took a quick shower and put on some jeans and a hoodie when he got out. He walked back out to the living room after about a half an hour.

* * *

It took Stephen around an hour to set up a way to contain the Stones, weaving spells and writing down sigil after sigil, layering them with protection and various forms of concealment. By the time he was finished, he deemed it as having been long enough and opened a portal into the Parker's living room.

* * *

May yelped and instinctively chucked the TV remote in her hand at the sparkly circle that just appeared in her living room. A man stepped out right at that moment. 

  
" _Ow!_ " Stephen shouted, staggering back as the hard plastic collided with his face. He cupped his cheek, glaring out to find the culprit. "Excuse me?"   
  
May's hands had flown to her mouth in shock. "A-Are you, I mean, you just- _what?_ " she stammered. _What the FUCK?!_

* * *

“Hi, Mr. Strange,” Peter muttered. “Aunt May, this is Mr. Strange.” His demeanor was significantly less cheery than usual.

* * *

"Doctor, it's-" Stephen caught himself before his voice rose too much. His face still hurt. "It's Doctor Strange. Lovely to meet you, Miss Parker. I am here to pick the two of you up and transport you to the compound." 

  
May was still shocked, but she managed to push most of it aside to stand. "Uh, nice to meet you?" she said hesitantly. "That's. You're doing magic. Magic is real." She laughed, almost deliriously. "Well I mean, aliens are real, so why not magic? Ha..."    
  
Stephen ignored her and kneeled in front of Peter, trying to get his attention. "Come on, Peter," he said softly. "We need to go."

* * *

Peter nodded and stood. He walked to May and held her hand. He began walking toward the portal, and he waited for Stephen before he went through.


	23. Chapter 23

They stepped into the waiting room of the base's hospital, the nurse at the desk glancing up briefly before going back to her paperwork, seemingly unperturbed by the three people suddenly appearing in the room.    
  
Stephen closed the portal behind them and walked up to her. "When is Mr. Stark going to be out of surgery?" he asked.    
  
She looked up again, then consulter her computer. "About a half hour until he can take visitors."   
  
Muttering a quick thanks, Stephen walked back over to the other two before sinking down into one of the uncomfortable chairs. He put his head in his hands and struggled not to cry.

* * *

Peter leaned over and hugged Stephen. “I don’t know you very well, M— Dr. Strange, but I hope I can help you feel better...”

  
He gave a weak smile, he wanted to be strong for Stephen.

* * *

Stephen startled at the sudden contact, but felt himself leaning into the boy's hug. A few tears slipped down his face unbidden, and he hurriedly wiped them away. 

  
"I'm supposed to be the capable adult here," he laughed bitterly.    
  
May watched this happen quietly. "Looks like you guys need to talk," she said softly. "I'm gonna go get some crappy hospital coffee. I'll be back."    
  
She left, closing the door gently behind her.

* * *

“What happened after the snap? How long have you been back?” Peter asked softly. “You seem a lot more... attached to Mr. Stark...”

* * *

Stephen took a moment to breath, forcing himself to calm enough so that when he spoke, his voice came out evenly

  
"The battle on Titan was about three weeks ago, give or take. Maybe more, we weren't keeping track the whole time. When the... the snap, happened, it all happened so quickly."    
  
He swallowed back the fear that was trying to clog his throat again. "It was around a week after the snap, when Tony found me. I don't know where I was, but it seemed to be some sort of in-between dimension, modeled after the last place I was. It was torture," he whispered, phantom dust brushing his skin. He shook it off and continued.    
  
"Somehow, Tony and I managed to do something that yanked me back to the real world, but in the process, he injured himself badly. After he healed, a lot happened." He emphasized the 'a lot'. "Too much to say, but you were... you were right. We have grown closer as of late."    
  
His cheeks stained red as he studiously avoided the boy's gaze. "Long story short, he and I and a number of the remaining Avengers devised a plan to stop Thanos for good and bring back those we lost. It appears it worked, but at a cost..."

* * *

“What did he do?” Peter asked softly. He isn’t sure if he wanted to know, but he wanted to know what was wrong.

* * *

Stephen clenched his fists in his lap, eyes tracing the pink scars criss-crossing his knuckles, the way his fingers shook without his gloves. 

  
"He used the Infinity Stones," he said, voice breaking. "He used them to reverse the snap. I got to him in time to redirect the energy from outright killing him, but we don't know if he'll ever wake up again."    
  
The tears finally spilled over, and Stephen wailed into his hands, letting loose the grief that had been building up since he awoke. Hard, shuddering sobs shook his body, and as he furiously tried to stem the flow, he felt Levi shift and curl around his shoulders tighter, collar reaching up to brush his cheek.

* * *

Peter wrapped his arms tightly around Stephen. “Mr. Stark is really strong. He has a lot of smart friends, and they can help him. You can help him. He’ll be okay.”

  
He was trying to hide his own uncertainty, because his priority right then was to help Stephen feel better.

* * *

Stephen felt utterly wrecked by the time his tears finally abated. He clutched Peter's arm and laughed. 

  
"God, after working with me on Titan, you probably saw me as some cool wizard. Now you get to see the emotionally vulnerable side of me too, huh?"    
  
He wiped his face, rubbing at his eyes to try and clear itchiness away. "I'm sorry Peter, I shouldn't have let my emotions control me like that. It's not fair to you."    
  
He sat up straight and sighed, clenching his fist as a calming spell washed over him, soothing his nerves and allowing him to breathe.    
  
"Thank you," he murmured, setting a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Not just for that, but for everything you've done to try and make Tony proud. I'm sure he is."

* * *

Peter smiled at Stephen genuinely. “Thank you. Dr. Strange, but I’m sure Mr. Stark would be proud of you, too. You can’t be a cool wizard without being strong enough to show you care about someone. So, for the record, I think you’re an even cooler wizard than you were before.”

* * *

Stephen gave a watery laugh at the roundabout compliment. He felt his heart go out to the kid; Tony really had done well with him. He could see why the man cared so much. 

  
The nurse called to get their attention. "Mr. Strange, Mr. Stark is open for visitors now," she said. "He is still comatose, but his room is now open for family."    
  
Stephen's head shot up. He didn't even bother correcting her - either on the title or the mention of 'family' - before he said "Room number?"    
  
"A314."    
  
"Thank you." He stood and offered his hand to Peter. "Shall we?"

* * *

Peter took the hand and glanced around for Aunt May before he figured she would find them. He walked with Stephen through the door to find the hospital room.

* * *

They wandered for a minute until happening across the correct room, and Stephen had to take a moment to breathe before opening the door. He wasn't sure what he would find upon opening it; would Tony be hooked up to machines? Would he be wrapped up tight in bandages? Stephen didn't know what needed doing after the trauma he'd been through, and he walked through the door prepared for anything. 

  
There was no need. His eyes found Tony immediately, and he looked peaceful. There was a heart monitor hooked up to him, but not much else. His hands were folded over his stomach, the sheets pulled crisply up to his armpits, and a serene smile graced his mouth.    
  
It was almost more painful seeing him like that, as if he were just asleep and would wake soon. Of course, that wasn't the case. No one knew when he would wake up, if at all.    
  
Stephen walked slowly to the side of the bed and reached down, entwining his fingers with Tony's. He didn't say a word, watching the man with an indecipherable look on his face.

* * *

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter tried to say casually, but his voice cracked and he began to cry silently. He sat in the chair beside the bed, and he placed his forehead against Tony’s bicep.

  
“I guess now would be a bad time to say thank you for saving my life.”

* * *

Stephen smiled brokenly. "He saved all our lives," he murmured. "More times than I could count, in more ways than just defeating Thanos."   


  
He sat down next to Peter and put a hand on his arm, his turn to comfort now. He felt numb inside, but tried not to let it show.

* * *

Peter sat up and smiled through the tears. “Mr. Stark is a really good person. Do you remember hearing about him carrying that missile through the portal during the first attack on New York?”

* * *

Stephen nodded. "Must have been the most terrifying thing, flying into the unknown like that and facing your death. He won't talk about it, but I feel it still haunts him."

  
"Remember the better in Sokovia? He made an android who he thought would help bolster world peace, but instead lost his AI and dearest friend, only for Ultron to almost destroy the world." He sighed, ducking his head. "I don't know how he manages it. I have experienced horrors beyond human imagination, and I barely made it out with my sanity intact." Thinking about Dormammu sent phantom pains through his body, but he ignored them.

* * *

Peter sniffed a bit, his crying beginning to subside. Without thinking about it, he leaned his head onto Stephen’s shoulder, their chairs close enough.

  
“He has us, right? And all of his friends. He’ll be okay,” he reasoned, trying to comfort himself as well as Stephen.

* * *

Stephen felt his arm wind around the boy's shoulders without thinking. "Of course he will, Peter," he said. 

  
May chose that moment to walk in, a coffee cup in each hand and one tucked in the crook of her elbow. She witnessed this moment of quiet comfort between the two and smiled.    
  
"Here you go, guys," she said, handing them each a cup and sitting in the last remaining chair. "It's not Starbucks, but it'll do."

* * *

“Thank you, Aunt May,” Peter said with his eyes red from tears, but he still put on a small smile for his aunt.

  
He sat up to sip at the coffee. He looked at Tony’s face, then he asked, “How long do you think it will be before this ends up on the news?”

* * *

Stephen gratefully accepted the coffee and turned to Peter at his question. 

  
"Well, people will obviously be wondering what happened, after suddenly regaining the people they lost. The Avengers will be expected to make an announcement to share what they did and assure the world that Thanos really is gone this time. But with Tony in the state he is..."    
  
He shook his head. "Someone else will have to make the announcement, other than him. People will wonder where the famed Iron Man is during all this. It won't stay under wraps very long."

* * *

“I think you and the others should call a press meeting. You, Mr. Rogers, Ms. Natasha, and Dr. Banner,” Peter suggested. “Dr. Banner and Mr. Rogers could be the people that speak mostly but you and Ms. Natasha can come in if things get out of hand.”

  
He was a smart kid, so he knew that the press could be difficult, and most of the Avengers didn’t have the same press experience as Tony. “It would be better than one person trying to explain everything.”

* * *

Stephen nodded along, thinking. "They will have a lot of questions," he mused, "and not all of them we could answer, but I think that might be our best option."   


  
He stood, downing the rest of his coffee and tossing the disposable cup in the nearby trash can. Squeezing Peter's shoulder, he said "I'll go let the others know. It has already been long enough, surely there are reporters just eager to hear what's going on."    
  
He touched May's shoulder on his way out the door as well, but turned back before closing it. "Oh, before I forget:"    
  
Waving his hand, a small sigil appeared before floating over to Peter and landing on his hand. It glowed briefly before disappearing.    
  
"Stay here with Tony, and let me know if anything changes," he said. "You can call me by pressing on the palm of your hand and thinking. I'll come right over."

* * *

“Cool,” was all Peter could think to say as he looked down at his palms. “Bye, Dr. Strange.”

  
He looked at May before he looked back at Tony. He hoped nothing would change, because he knew it would be a good chance that it wouldn’t be for the better.

* * *

May reached out a hand and gently pulled her nephew in for a hug. "It's gonna be okay, sweetie," she said, kissing the top of his head. "The wizard man knows what he's talking about. Tony will make it through this and everything will be okay again."   



	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short one bc the next chapters interesting and after that things are getting.... Interesting.

Stephen walked through the hospital halls, trying to remember what room they said Pepper was in. He wanted to check on her real quick before getting the others. He knew her injury was less severe and that a full recovery was certain, but he needed this to calm his anxious mind.    
  
Hailing a nurse, he found out her room number and was there in a few moments. He knocked quietly, unsure, and opened the door at the soft "Come in."    
  
Pepper was sitting upright in bed, an IV hooked to a bad full of red fluid strapped to her arm. She looked tired and haggard, but a calm smile graced her features when she saw him. Steve, Natasha, and Bruce were sitting around her, their conversation quietened upon Stephen's arrival   
  
"Heya, Doctor Man," Pepper giggled. She was clearly on some pain medication. "Welcome to the party."

* * *

“Hey, Stephen,” Bruce said with an anxious smile. He was in a chair beside the bed, holding Pepper’s hand. “How’s everything elsewhere?”

  
Natasha sat in a chair on the other side of the bed, looking as worn out and nervous as an ex-assassin could - which was not very.   
  
“Is Peter okay?” she asked, knowing that Stephen had gone to get the kid.

* * *

Stephen closed the door behind him and leaned against it, suddenly exhausted. "Tony's out of surgery, in case you haven't heard," he said. "He's in a coma- _another_  one, and the doctor's don't know when he'll wake up." _If_  he'll wake up, Stephen didn't say. 

  
"Peter's fine, he and his aunt are staying with Tony for now. I came to check on Pepper, but it's good you're all here."    
  
He pushed off the door and walked to the center of the cramped room, crossing his arms. "Peter said the media is going to want to know what happened, especially after everyone who went missing suddenly reappeared. He suggested a press conference to answer questions, though we need to be careful with what we say. If word got out that the indestructible Iron Man is comatose, who knows what they'll say."    
  
Steve rose to his feet. "Smart kid. We can organize that back in New York City, answer a few questions so people know Thanos is gone for good. It'll put everyone at ease, at least."

* * *

“Who should answer the questions? None of us are as good in front of a camera as Tony is,” Bruce said, feeling nauseous at the urge he had to say ‘was’ rather than ‘is’. “Besides Pepper, of course, but...” He looked at the drugged-up woman.

  
“Did Peter suggest anyone? I think it should be Bruce and Steve. People would be more accepting with them,” Natasha said to Stephen.

* * *

"He did, actually," Stephen responded. "Obviously Captain America would be the next best face of the Avengers, and with Bruce Banner there as well, any scientific questions can be diverted his way. He also suggested Natasha and I be there, in case things get out of hand and the two of you need backup."   


  
Pepper giggled again and squeezed Bruce's hand. She pulled it up to her face and nuzzled it, sighing at his warm skin. "I like it," she mumbled. "I wanna talk, but you're right. No talking for me, not for now."

* * *

Bruce’s face turned bright red almost instantly. “U-uh... yeah. Yeah, sounds good,” he stuttered. He cleared his throat, embarrassed.

  
“We should get going as soon as possible. We don’t want the media finding anything out on their own,” Natasha pointed out, sparing only a glance and a slight smile for the interaction between Pepper and Bruce.

* * *

Stephen nodded. "Pepper, you'll be okay on your own for a bit?" he asked. "I'm sure once the conference starts it'll be all over the news, so you can watch." 

  
She smiled and said "Of course. Gonna get some more sleep first, but I'll be rootin' for ya."    
  
Steve went to the door, brushing past the sorcerer on his way. "I'll start making calls, see you guys there. This is gonna be interesting." He ignored the way Stephen stiffened almost imperceptibly at the brief contact and left, leaving the door open behind him.    
  
"Do either of you know where Thor went?" Stephen asked, shaking off the strange feeling. "He should know what's going on."

* * *

“I think he went looking for...” Bruce paused as he stood, an event clearing resurfacing in his head. “Looking for Loki’s body.”

  
Natasha frowned. She only barely knew how the time on the Asgardian refuge ship played out, but she knew from Bruce that Loki had been there. She stood. “He’ll be back soon, I’m sure.” She followed Steve out of the room.

* * *

Stephen mirrored her frown. He'd heard much of the god of mischief, though he wasn't as intimately familiar with him as some of the other Avengers were. He hadn't know the god had perished during the war, and though he felt no particular emotion at that revelation, he knew Thor was a different matter entirely. He had lost all he had- his home, his people, most of his family. No wonder he was latching onto the remains of his brother. 

  
Stephen shook his head as Pepper's snore pulled him out of his thoughts. He smiled at her, already out from the meds.    
  
"Alright then," he said. "Let's do this."


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we decided to do this bit as a sort of exercise in arguments, where one would pose a question then have the other try to defend themselves in character, then we swapped out and did it again. it was pretty fun

Bruce cleared his throat before he stepped in front of the press. He hadn’t done this in a long time. Not since before the Hulk.   
  
“Hi... I’m gonna take a few questions now,” he said into the microphone. He looked around at raised hands before he pointed to one near the front.

* * *

"Cosmo Holt, Jolt Magazine," said a perky blonde reporter, painted grin stretched across too-straight teeth. "Is it true that the fight with Thanos is now over, and that our loved ones have all returned in the face of the disaster one month ago?"

* * *

“Yes, that’s true. Thanos won’t be a threat any more, that is for sure,” Bruce responded, trying not to feel too relieved at how easy that question was. “Um... next question.” He pointed at another reporter.

* * *

A short man with rounded glasses perched on the end of his nose stepped forward, shoving his mic towards the stage. "Luciano Ramsay, the Nova Tribune," he said, nasally voice carrying easily. "Sources say the cause of the initial disaster and the followup reappearance of half the world's population are due to a collection of powerful alien artifacts that have been hidden from the public. Is it safe to say these artifacts are being held responsibly, and does the public have anything to worry about?"

* * *

“They are in responsible hands. In terms of the public, there is nothing to worry about. The only think really capable of wielding the artifacts is gone, so no harm can be done with them on such a scale again,” Bruce said, trying not to give anything away. He was starting to wonder how Tony was so good at this.

* * *

A murmur rippled across the crowd, and another reporter stepped up to the plate. "Dixie Jordan, Weekly Metropolitan. Are you sure they are safe with the Avengers? With what happened, would it not be safer to release them to the government, lest they fall into the wrong hands?" 

  
Cosmo Holt pushed forward again, right up to the barrier between the audience and the stage. "If someone like Thanos were to rise again, how do you know you could keep them safe? How do you know there isn't someone amongst you, waiting to steal them and wreak havoc on the world right now? How do you know who is to be trusted with something this powerful?"

* * *

Bruce felt his nerves get set on edge, and a quick glance at his hand showed slight green - the questions were irritating the Hulk.

  
He took a deep breath before he spoke. “One question at a time. For the first question, I would just like to ask, do you think that it would be better if the supposedly powerful artifacts could be employed by the military? For the second question, we hope to return the artifacts to their previous homes. They are safer separated.”   
  
He breathed again. He should stop soon. “I’m only going to take one more question before I pass it on to my colleague.”

* * *

Steve set a hand on his shoulder, waiting his turn. He'd noticed the green too, and was ready to take over when the time came. 

  
A well-dressed man raised his hand, a suave grin on his face as he announced himself. "Stefan North, Capital Press. We noticed that your figurehead, the esteemed Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, is absent. Is there a reason for this? Has he abandoned the Avengers, as has been rumored for the past few weeks? Was the fight too much for him, and is going to make a public appearance any time soon?"

* * *

Bruce tensed significantly at the mention of Tony, and he subtly pulled his sleeves down to cover how upset the Hulk had gotten as well.

  
“Tony Stark is still very much a member of the Avengers. He couldn’t make it tonight due to complications, but rest assured he will be making an appearance soon. Thank you for your questions.”    
  
He quickly stepped aside to where Natasha and Stephen were, and Natasha whispered something to him to help him hold back the Hulk. The last thing they needed at the press conference was the appearance of a grief-stricken rage monster.

* * *

Stephen clasped a hand on his shoulder. "You did great," he said. Levi subtly swept forward, brushing its bottom hem on his leg in comfort. No good to make a scene with a magic cloak at a time like this. 

  
Steve quickly stepped up to take Bruce's place. He waved off the surge of camera flashes that greeted him, and pointed to a random reporter.

* * *

“Marion Grey, CNN. Is it true that you remain a war criminal, Captain Rogers? Or have you been re-admitted to the Avengers?” asked a young woman in a tight grey skirt suit and too much make-up.

* * *

Steve felt himself stiffen at her words, though he didn't let it show on his face. "Though there has been no official announcement yet, we have been speaking with a representative from the United Nations, and in the face of recent events, all charges are to be dropped." 

  
He added "Mistakes were made, but the Avengers and I have come to an agreement. I will be rejoining my teammates as soon as our legal team clears things up."

* * *

The crowd mumbled and murmured, the reporters not exactly believing the simplicity of the answer.

  
A skinny blonde man with a grin that showed far too many teeth for it not to be creepy stepped forward. “Barnaby Harrington, New York Times. Can you elaborate further on the state of Tony Stark? What circumstances prevented him from attending this press conference?”

* * *

The captain felt something heavy settle in his gut. "We are not obligated to release details at this time," he said curtly. "Next question." 

  
Stephen, sensing a shift in the crowd incoming, stepped forward. "It is nothing to worry about," he said. "Mr. Stark is fine and well, he is just has some time-sensitive business he needs to attend to, and had us come in his stead. He will be open for interviews sometime soon." It was a bold-faced lie, but he needed to get the press off that topic before questions got too invasive.

* * *

Someone in the crowd muttered, “Dr. Stephen Strange...”

  
Barnaby Harrington decided to latch on to the addition, and he asked, “A follow up question: what is your relationship with Tony Stark, Dr. Stephen Strange?”

* * *

Stephen balked, having forgotten that before his time in Kamar-Taj, he was a relatively famous public figure as well. "Er..." 

  
Steve took up the answer. "Questions invading the personal lives of our members will be ignored, and if continued, you will be escorted out of the press conference. We are here to answer questions about the tragedy we all experienced, not pry into matters that aren't of public interest."    
  
Stephen clenched a shaking hand into the fabric of his cloak. He had gotten his old pair of gloves from the Sanctum before coming here, but it wasn't doing much to assuage him.

* * *

Barnaby frowned and stepped back, only to be replaced by a chipper young woman with dark, yet beautiful features.

  
“Shianne Montgomery, BBC America. Was there any specific person responsible for the reappearance of our lost loved ones? If so, how are they being honored? Personally, I would love to thank the person who returned my family to me.”

* * *

Steve smiled at the first good question all day. "We did this as a team, ma'am, and couldn't have done it any other way. Though the plan was hatched by a few key members, without any one of us there, we would have surely failed."   


  
He gestured out to the others behind him. "The Avengers have been through some rough times. If we hadn't had our disagreements, maybe things wouldn't have gotten so bad in the first place. Though I hate how it got to this point, part of me is grateful something managed to bring us back together. A team cannot work as its individual parts, but must work as one cohesive whole, to save the world."    
  
Turning back to the reporter, he finished by saying "So, to answer your question:  the Avengers did it, and we don't need honoring. We were just doing our duty, something we should've been doing from the start."

* * *

“Well, since nobody else here will do it, I would like to say thank you on behalf of the world. We would have lost many people forever without the Avengers. While many of us may choose to remain angry after previous events, many more will be forever grateful,” Shianne responded with a thankful grin.

* * *

Steve felt his cheeks flame, and he grinned. Turning back to the rest of the audience, he announced "Any more questions?" 

  
Stephen quietly stepped back to where Natasha and Bruce were standing, Levi squeezing around his shoulders.

* * *

The reporters all seemed dejected because they hadn’t gotten quite as good of a response as Shianne had. No more questions pop up immediately.

  
“We should end it here,” Natasha whispered to Steve. “Quit while we’re ahead.”

* * *

Steve nodded. "If there are no more questions, we will be ending the press conference here. Feel free to forward any remaining queries to our PR team, who will be happy to answer anything they can. Good day."   


  
He stepped down from the podium and gestured for the others to follow him through the doors, back into the building.    
  
Stephen followed gladly, relieved to be out of the spotlight again. The lights and the cameras and the hundreds of pairs of eyes all trained on him had his pulse racing, and he had to steady himself on a wall as soon as they were out of sight.    
  
"Remind me to never do that again," he laughed.

* * *

“Yeah, I didn’t... I didn’t like that,” Bruce added. He was still tugging at his sleeves uncomfortably.  


  
Natasha smiled, though with some level of amusement at the others’ expense. “I think you all did great.”

* * *

Stephen smiled gratefully. "Could've gone better, but yeah." 

  
As they walked through the building, Steve voiced a thought he'd had all throughout the press conference. "So we know everyone who got dusted by the snap is back, right? Doesn't that include the others, like Scarlet Witch and the Guardians? T'challa?"   
  
He stopped. "God, _Bucky!"_ he said, horror dawning on his face. "I need to know if Bucky's okay. Where did they reappear?"

* * *

“In their homes, mostly. Bucky would probably be back in Wakanda,” Natasha pointed out, noting the obvious distress on Steve’s face. “He’ll be waiting. I’m sure he’ll understand you got busy.”

* * *

Steve still felt on edge. "We need to call them soon, I need to know if everything's okay. And, uh, make sure Wakanda isn't falling apart anymore, now that their king is back." He felt guilty focusing on his friend and not the entire nation that nearly fell after the war, but he couldn't help himself. 

  
Stephen put a hand on the man's broad shoulder, and ignored the weird spark he felt when he did it. "He'll be okay, Captain Rogers. Just like everyone else, he should be awake and well."


	26. Chapter 26

Meanwhile, Peter felt himself falling asleep at the steady beeping of the heart monitor. He was dozing off when suddenly, the beeping was replaced with a long tone, and he sat up quickly and stood.   
  
“We need help in here!” he shouted, frantically trying to think of what to do. Then, he remembered the little spell Stephen had cast, and he pressed his palm while thinking, “Dr. Strange! There’s a problem! It’s not good!”

* * *

Stephen was just stepping into the prepared quinjet that was ready to take them all back to the compound when his palm started burning. A rune matching the one he'd cast on Peter had appeared, and in an instant, his head was filled with Peter's worried shouting. 

  
"Something's wrong," he said to the others, opening a portal to the compound. "I'll meet you guys there, I need to go."    
  
"Wait, take us-" Steve started to say, but the sorcerer had already stepped through into pandemonium.    
  
He was at Tony's side in an instant, grabbing the man's hand in a vice like grip. "What happened?" he asked, even as his mind was catching onto the signs of a sudden cardiac arrest. He slammed the call button unnecessarily; the flatlining automatically sent out a distressed signal to call the doctor's.

* * *

“I don’t know! I was falling asleep and suddenly...” Peter gestured around wildly, not sure of what else to say. He was panicked and worried.

  
“Is he dying? Where are the doctors? Is someone gonna help him?” he spouted confused and scared questions. He didn’t know what to do.

* * *

"Not if I can help it," Stephen growled. He rose, clapping his hands together before pulling them apart, two sigils glowing in his palms. He rubbed then together like defibrillators, and with a shout of "Clear!" he slammed them onto Tony's chest. 

  
Tony jerked, but remained unresponsive. Stephen growled again, feeling his heart drop. He flicked his hands and the sigils glowed more intensely, almost burning. He readied them again. "Clear!"    
  
At some point, the doctors had run into the room, and we're standing in shock in the doorway. Stephen glared up at them. "There is a man dying under your care," he hissed, "and _I'm_  over here doing all the work!"    
  
They jumped into action, their shock at the man wielding magic disappearing in their need to save Tony Stark's life.    
  
May had been watching this all in shock as well, and when he shouted, she jumped to grab Peter in her arms. She turned him around, hugging him tightly and keeping his eyes off the scene. "It'll be okay," she said. "He'll be okay, they've got him, everything's gonna be okay." But as she said that, she felt her conviction waning.

* * *

Peter’s shock gave way to sobs when May hugged him, and he held her tightly even when his body was still trying to look. He couldn’t help himself and he didn’t know why.

  
He eventually just buried his face in his aunt’s shoulder, wanting to keep himself from seeing the doctors trying their hardest to save Tony’s life.

* * *

Stephen was getting more and more frantic as time went on and Tony's condition changed. He closed his eyes, channeling his magic into the man, trying to feel what was wrong. 

  
The doctors gave him another jolt and he felt something. When they tried to restart Tony's heart something was interfering, as if it couldn't quite make the connection and start beating again. It felt like there was something missing.    
  
He had a bad feeling he knew what it was.    
  
"Peter, I'm about to do something strange, but don't fear. I'm just hopping into the astral plane to get a better look at what's going on," he said as he went to sit down. Propping himself against the back of the chair, he let his head roll back so it wouldn't fall and snap his neck.    
  
He closed his eyes and _pushed_.    
  
His astral form was violently ejected from his body, and time seemed to slow. He rose up, a phantom version of his cloak billowing around him, and looked to Tony.    
  
He didn't like what he saw.    
  
Tony's aura was dimmed, almost to the point of extinguishing. He already looked dead, and Stephen felt his heart clench painfully.    
  
But then his eyes alighted on something odd. A thin, unbroken thread of orange light was pulsing out from just above Tony's heart, rising into the air before curling away and out the wall.    
  
Stephen cocked his head, confused, and looked back to the scene below him. He debated only a moment, before shooting through the wall and out of the building.

* * *

Peter looked up to see Stephen fall limp as well, and he immediately buried his face back in May’s shoulder.

  
-   
  
Tony had been sitting in the meadow for what felt like years. He had felt tied to... something, when all he wanted was to move on.   
  
He knew he wasn’t dead, but he knew he was dying. He had made peace with it. Each season that passed in the meadow - he had been through quite a few, it felt like, but he wasn’t sure how fast time was moving - he felt the knot holding him there get a little looser.

* * *

Stephen flew frantically, following the thread that seemed to be leading him towards New York City. It swirled through the air, seemingly aimlessly, but was headed in the general direction of the main city. 

  
As he reached the city and kept flying, he realized where it was taking him, but not why. Into the Sanctum he went, following this strange orange light, worried he was taking too long and that by the time he found the end, it would be too late to save Tony.    
  
He dove down into the floor, curiosity growing and being replaced by a sinking sense of dread as he bypassed all the floors, finally arriving in the one place he never thought he'd end up at.    
  
The Infinity Stones glowed brighter than anything else in the Astral Plane, hidden behind layers and layers of protection. They swirled, floating in the air in an intricate dance that almost made them blend into one.    
  
The orange light he'd been following was emanating from the Soul Stone.    
  
Stephen knew, without a doubt, that Tony's soul was trapped in there, and that that was why they couldn't revive him.    
  
He reached out and touched it, the fingers of his astral form barely brushing over the stone, before something like a sharp wind picked up and tugged him forward.    
  
In an instant, he was gone.    
  
-   
  
A small green-skinned form walked up to Tony, hands clasped behind her back. The grasses of the meadow hissed around her feet, but they barely moved as she passed through them. She walked up behind the man and set a tiny hand on his shoulder.    
  
"Your time here is almost up," Gamora said quietly. "One way or another, you must leave soon."

* * *

“Yeah, I know,” Tony responded. “I’d be gone by now if I could be. I don’t get what’s going on.”

  
He looked down at the string of light that sprouted from his chest and went up into the sky. It was flickering periodically.   
  
“I’m guessing this is holding it here. Unless you think you can break it, I don’t think I’m going anywhere soon.”

* * *

Gamora looked up at the horizon. "I cannot do anything," she said, watching as the fabricated sky flickered. "But I am sure _he_  can." 

  
With that, she disappeared, right as a mighty _CRACK_  shook the ground.    
  
-   
  
Stephen felt soft grass scratching at his face and looked up. He was lying on the ground in an all-too familiar meadow, his limbs splayed out as if he'd fallen there. He sat up and looked down at his body. It wasn't glowing, like it had been in the Astral Plane, but something seemed almost fuzzy about his outline.    
  
He looked back up, rising slowly to his feet. "Hello?" he called. "Tony, are you here?"    
  
He noticed a faint orange line reaching down from the sky, so much like the one he'd followed across the state. Steeling himself, he started walking towards it.

* * *

Tony stood and stretched before he noticed the sorcerer. “Hey, Stephen,” he muttered softly, his barely-alive heart fluttering.

  
“Are you really hear or... or is this like an ‘angel taking the form of a loved one to carry me off to the afterlife’ situation?” he asked after with an unsure tone.

* * *

Stephen grinned almost without thinking, and rushed to wrap Tony in a tight hug. "It's me, I'm real," he breathed, burying his face in Tony's hair. 

  
"God, I missed you so much, but I'm here now, I'm taking you home."

* * *

Tony smiled briefly before he noticed the unnatural... blurriness of Stephen’s outline. “I wouldn’t be so sure...”

  
He pulled back to look the sorcerer over. “I don’t think this place is gonna let me leave alive without a fight.”   
  
He looked up at Stephen and smiled. “It feels like it’s been years since I’ve seen you...” he said in a rare tone void of any sarcasm or sass.

* * *

Stephen pulled back to pat himself down. He felt normal enough, but he could see what Tony meant. Even now, he felt his grasp on this pocket dimension starting to slip. 

  
He looked back up at Tony in a panic. "I can't leave you here," he said, grasping Tony's arms to ground himself a little longer. "You're dying, out in the real world. Your body is giving out without its soul to power it, and if we don't do something soon, you won't have a body to come back to."

* * *

“Have you... have you tried hooking me up to life support? It seems drastic, but it keeps the body alive,” Tony suggested. He held on to Stephen tighter, and he kissed him soundly. When he pulled away, he said, “That kiss we didn’t get last time. Had to get it in...”

* * *

Stephen cupped Tony's face and kissed him hard, memorizing every scratch of stubble, every shift of his lips in case he never got a chance to again. 

  
"No telling how long life support will keep you alive," he said, thinking it over. He had yet to let Tony go, and didn't plan on it until he physically couldn't anymore. "While it will keep the heart beating, yes, the connection between soul and body will slowly erode until a convergence isn't possible anymore."   
  
He pulled their foreheads together, breathing in Tony's faint scent. "But dammit if I won't _try."_   
  
His form was beginning to waver more visibly now, but still he held on. He didn't want this to be the last time he got to hold Tony.

* * *

“That’s what I love about you, wizard. You’re very persistent,” Tony said with fondness as he watched Stephen disappear slowly.

  
“I trust you to get me out,” he said softly right before he couldn’t see Stephen any more.

* * *

Stephen pressed another kiss to Tony's lips before the world went dark, and he felt like he was falling again. 

  
He woke up in his chair in the hospital, the doctors still rushing around Tony's body, the shrill beep of the flatlining heart monitor unceasing.    
  
One of the doctors ducked her head before pulling up her wrist to check her watch.    
  
Stephen interrupted her. "Don't you fucking dare state a time of death," he hissed, shooting to his feet. "Put that man on life support, we're not letting him die no matter what."

One of the other doctors tried to argue with him, saying "It's already been too long, there's no way-"    
  
But he interrupted again. "Nope, not having it. This isn't your normal run-of-the-mill death. I could take the time to explain it, but I'd rather you _just fucking put him on life support before it really is too late."_ _   
_   
Shocked at his outburst, they stood still.  _   
  
_ _"NOW!"_ Stephen yelled, and they startled back into action, hooking up a large machine and propping him onto a gurney. They wheeled him out to the ICU, already shouting ahead to get a ventilator prepared.    
  
Stephen collapsed back into his chair and dropped his head into his hands. He tried not to cry, but he must have failed as he felt tears slip down his face.

* * *

Peter let go of May and ran to Stephen. 

  
“What happened?” he asked. His voice shook and cracked from the tears that had just subsided, and his eyes are hopeful that Stephen could give him good news.

* * *

Stephen looked up into Peter's hopeful eyes and forced out a smile. "I know where Tony is," he said. "I know where he is, but it's going to be difficult getting him back. Time is of the essence, but I don't know how to save him."

He felt his voice break and cleared his throat, swallowing the lump that was forming. "He's inside the Soul Stone, somehow, and we need to keep his body alive as long as possible while I try to get him out. I don't know how, but he saved my life once, and I'm going to make it up to him if it kills me."    
  
May stood and walked over to the two of them. She put her hands on Peter's shoulders and said "I don't know how much help I can be with all this magic and 'eternity stone' stuff, but I'm here if you need me. Like an emotional support aunt," she joked.

* * *

Peter smiled at May. “You’re amazing, Aunt May...” he said before he kissed her on the cheek. He looked back at Stephen, his eyes glimmering with a new hope.

  
“I think you should go with everyone to Wakanda and bring the soul stone. I’ve heard about the princess and how she’s really smart. I think she could help you find a way in long enough to get Mr. Stark out,” he suggested. “Aunt May and I can stay as long as possible here to make sure his body is okay. I can call you if there’s another emergency.”

* * *

Stephen nodded enthusiastically, having not thought of that possibility. "Thank you, Peter. Time is of the essence, so I'm going to need you to inform the rest of the Avengers what's going on. Good luck, and thank you again." 

  
Without thinking, he pulled Peter into a hug, pressing a kiss to his hair. He froze, then before he could think too hard about why he'd done that, pulled away and waved open a portal.    
  
"I'll be back."    
  
And stepped through into King T'Challa's throne room.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: forgot half the damn chapter, so i reuploaded it with the rest asdjfhasdlfh kill me

Shuri was on edge, or at least that was her excuse for screaming and jumping and accidentally dumping the glass of water she had been bringing to her newly-returned brother directly all over said brother. How else was she supposed to react when a portal randomly appeared in the throne room?  
  
“Oh, my goddess,” she mumbled, clutching her heart dramatically. “Who or what is that?!”

* * *

T'Challa was immediately on his feet, Black Panther suit rippling into being around him as the Dora Milaje readied their weapons. "Who goes there?" he shouted at the sudden intruder. 

  
Stephen threw his hands in the air and backed away from the series of sharp spears suddenly aimed at his chest. _"Shit,_ I forgot-"   
  
He cleared his throat. "Apologies, my lord," he said, voice lowering back to its usual range. "I didn't mean to scare you nor I don't mean to intrude, but my name is Doctor Stephen Strange and my... friend, Tony Stark is in grave danger."   
  
He held out his hands, palms up in a position of pacification. "I need your help."

* * *

“Why are you all always so up in arms?” Shuri asked. She walked up to Stephen and stuck out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Shuri. I can help you out, especially if it is for a friend of the kingdom.”

* * *

"I assume you are the much-revered princess?" he asked, taking her hand and bringing her knuckles to his lips. "It is lovely to finally meet you. You are, in fact, just the person I was looking for." 

  
T'Challa waved off the guards, who resumed their original positions around the throne. He dispelled his mask and raised an eyebrow. "Doctor Strange, is it?" he asked, rolling the name around his mouth. "I have heard much about you. For what purpose do you require my sister?"   
  
Stephen lowered Shuri's hand and looked at the king apologetically. "Tony's soul is trapped in the Soul Stone, and I need a way to access him for longer so that I may get him out. Wakanda has the best technology on this world, as well as the best minds. I am quite literally placing his life in your hands."

* * *

“Well, flattery will get you everywhere,” Shuri said with a laugh. She turned more serious. “Don’t worry, I will help you get Tony Stark out of the stone. Come with me to my lab. T’Challa, if you wouldn’t mind joining us.”

  
She then turned and walked out. Despite her cheerful demeanor that had stuck with her since her brother’s return, she understood the desperation of the situation.   
  
“Tell me - how did he get trapped?” she asked as she walked.

* * *

Stephen walked alongside her, matching her brisk pace. "Something happened, during the second snap," he explained. "When Tony set off the stones, they did something to his mind. I was there and managed to divert the worst of the energy from shattering his mind, but the force of the blast did something to him that I'm not sure how to explain." 

  
The Dora that were patrolling the halls gave him looks as they passed, which he tried to ignore. "Somehow, his soul got trapped inside the Soul Stone, and without it, his body is dying. I managed to get inside it as well, and it looks like the Stone's hold on him is starting to fade, but not in a good way. If it lessens too much without some way to pull him back to his body, or if his body dies before that happens, he will cease to exist."   
  
He swallowed down that lump that never seemed to go away. "I can't let that happen, for obvious reasons."   
  
T'Challa spoke up, trying to lighten the mood. "I am glad to be back, though I wish maybe I hadn't appeared in my bed when both Shuri and Nakia were in it. I heard after that they had been in there every night, sleeping with the thought of me heavy on their minds. It gave them quite the scare when I appeared so suddenly."   
  
He laughed, prodding his sister. "I wish someone had recorded Shuri falling off the bed. It was very entertaining."

* * *

“Hey! How was I supposed to react when a ghost appeared next to me?” Shuri complained, swatting T’Challa’s hand away. “Besides, maybe I only was in your bed because it’s more comfortable than mine, and it was, as they say, _free real estate?_ ”

  
She whispered the last part, emulating the meme. “Anyway. This all means a certain king will have to work just as hard as me to help Dr. Strange, since Tony Stark did almost give up his life to save theirs.”

* * *

Stephen laughed as T'Challa sighed. 

  
"Fair enough," the king said.   
  
They arrived in the lab and Stephen marveled at how high-tech it all looked. It was nothing like he'd ever seen, and even in the face of their time limit, he was still struck speechless.

* * *

“Strange, did you bring the soul stone?” Shuri asked as she walked to her main computer station and began to set up a connection.

  
Beside her, a table sat with what looked to be black sand. As Shuri typed, the sand reached up in a spot to form a pedestal, the top being perfect formed to hold the soul stone.

* * *

Stephen waved his hand and plucked the stone out of its place in the Sanctum. It was as secure as it could possibly be, but it was also keyed to his magical signature, so that if he wanted it, all he had to do was summon it. 

  
It floated between his pointer finger and thumb, casting a warm glow across their faces. He floated it over to the pedestal and let it fall slowly, until it was encased in the black sand.   
  
"Here," he said. "What do you need me to do now?"

* * *

“T’Challa, take him to the chair,” Shuri responded, gesturing in the general direction of where a chair had formed out of black sand. “You’ll be keeping the way open, brother, so sit in the chair beside it.”

* * *

T'Challa and Stephen both looked vaguely uncomfortable with this idea, but Stephen was the first to break. 

  
"Anything to get him back," he said, settling himself in one of the chairs. The feeling of putting weight on the shifting yet solid sand was a strange one indeed, and he brushed a bit of black sand that drifted onto his leg off, entranced.   
  
T'Challa dismissed the Black Panther suit, leaving him in his ornate robes, and sat down in the other chair.   
  
"You are sure this will work, sister?" he asked. "We don't want him getting stuck in there as well."

* * *

“That’s what you are for, brother!” Shuri responds, chipper. She walked over to the two and placed sensors in various places on their heads. “You will be the link between while Stark is retrieved. I ask you because I cannot trust just anyone to be able to do this.”

  
She went back to her computer and pressed a few buttons, and tendrils of sand reached up to connect to the sensors.

* * *

T'Challa shrugged. He looked at Stephen, who was starting to look nervous. Reaching over, he clasped the man's shoulder firmly. "Do not worry," he said, giving Stephen a sunny grin. "She is very competent. We will get Stark back, I promise you this." 

  
Stephen took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I hope you're right," he muttered, then louder "Hit me with your best shot, princess."

* * *

“Will do,” Shuri responded, and she pressed a few buttons. Her connection activated and a pulse of energy the same shade of yellowy orange as the stone went through the connection to the men’s heads.

  
She pulled up their vitals as she realized that she should have told them how long it was going to take.

* * *

T'Challa jerked, his vision instantly going fuzzy. It didn't hurt, but this almost-numb feeling was spreading through his body, dripping down from his head and making his limbs fall asleep. 

  
He turned slightly to see how Stephen was doing.   
  
The sorcerer's head was lolled on his chest, already out like a light.

* * *

 

Stephen fell through the blackness, feeling it differently this time as he landed almost gently on his feet in the meadow. He looked around, realizing that everything felt more solid, and his skin felt like it was buzzing with energy instead of rippling like a mirage. He ran towards where he could see the orange light shooting into the sky, and called Tony's name.    
  
"I'm here!" he shouted. "Tony, I'm here! It's time to take you home!"

* * *

Tony felt tired. So tired. He assumed it would be due to his connection with life fading, but when he heard Stephen, he stood.

  
He looked in the direction of his voice, seeming like someone who was just woken from sleeping far too long. “Stephen?”

* * *

Stephen tackled the man, sweeping him up into a spinning hug before setting him back on his feet. He kissed him hard. 

  
"I'm in Wakanda, we're doing something to the Soul Stone," he explained quickly. "I don't know how I'm gonna get you out but I'll be damned if I don't try."

* * *

Tony nodded sleepily, leaning his head against Stephen’s chest as if it was difficult for him to be awake.  


  
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, watching as the glowing orange light flickered just barely. His time was running out, but he seemed to gain a bit of strength with Stephen there.

* * *

Stephen started to worry. "Tony, are you okay? Why are you acting weird?"   


  
He pulled away only enough to cup Tony's cheek, tilting his head so he could look into the man's eyes. "What's wrong, dear? Tell me."

* * *

“I feel... really tired. Like I’m gonna fall asleep...” Tony responded, but that wasn’t the only thing. He didn’t elaborate further.

  
He thought about how maybe Stephen shouldn’t bring him back, and he barely felt the grass of the meadow grow and wrap itself around his ankles.

* * *

Stephen's brow furrowed. "No, wait. What? Tony, don't fall asleep. You have to stay with me." 

  
Something brushed against his foot. He looked down and gasped at the sight. "Tony, you need to stop whatever you're doing, this isn't right."    
  
He tried to back away, pulling Tony with him, but though a few of the grasses snapped and retreated, the rest of them continued to grow.

* * *

“Stephen, maybe I shouldn’t go back,” Tony mumbled, looking off to the side. The grass grew up his leg, and the bottoms looked as if they were turning to metal.

  
“I mean, I chose to do what I did, didn’t I? And it’s not like you don’t have the looks to replace me. And it’s not like I’m a really great Avenger anyway...” The grass grew, turning to steel as it did.

* * *

Stephen grabbed Tony's face, forcing the man to meet his eyes. "Tony, stop this. You are one of the greatest men I know, don't throw away a chance like this!" 

  
He tried kicking at the grass, summoning a rune and setting it on fire, but the flame extinguished before it could even tough the fine grasses. He growled in frustration, panic beginning once again to kick in. He was dealing with a lot of panic today.    
  
"Tony, please look at me. I love you, so much more than I could ever express, and the world needs you. _I_  need you, so if you don't come back for yourself, then come back for all those you'll leave behind if you do this."    
  
He pressed their foreheads together.  _"Please."_

* * *

Tony couldn’t say no to Stephen, even if for his own self-hatred. He looked up at the sorcerer lovingly.  “I guess... you’re right. I don’t agree with some of it, but I wouldn’t want to hurt you...”  


  
He wrapped his arms around Stephen and hugged him, and the grass slowly began to shrink. “Just... hold me for a minute. It’s helping me feel less tired.”

* * *

Stephen gladly did so, holding Tony tight, shielding him from the world and trying to get him to understand just how much he meant to the sorcerer.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and heres where the stonystrange aspect starts coming in. guess i should probably tag it at some point soon huh

Steve was on the edge of his seat as the quinjet approached the barrier into Wakanda. He masked his anticipation well, except for the fact that he kept looking out the window furtively.    
  
"Do you think everything's okay?" he asked Natasha. "Strange left in such a hurry, and Peter seemed beyond distressed when he called us to let us know what's happening."

* * *

“I think that for now, you should focus on your reunion and we can sort everything else out later,” Natasha pointed out. “If anyone dies, I’m sure that we’ll find out.”

  
She stood to look out the window as well. “Excited?”

* * *

Steve smiled bashfully. "Yeah, I am. I just hope he's okay." He didn't admit that more than Bucky was on his mind; he was worried sick about Tony, but he decided to focus on something he could control to keep himself sane.   


  
His thoughts were interrupted as they flew through the barrier, scenery suddenly changing from a barren mountain range to the beautiful, expansive country of Wakanda. The swathes of destruction left by the battle a month prior were still there, though most of the debris had been removed and a lot of the damaged infrastructure was already repaired.    
  
The quinjet soared over the land, headed towards the outskirts of the city. They had sent a message ahead, letting T'Challa and the guard know they were coming, so their arrival wasn't a surprise.    
  
They set down near the hut Bucky was living in pre-war, and Steve was the first out. Goats scattered, bleating.    
  
Steve hesitated at the door, unsure.

* * *

Bucky tore the door open before Steve could do anything, and he grinned. “Steve!” he greeted happily and pulled the supersoldier into a friendly and happy hug.

  
“Figured you would get here eventually,” he said quietly.   
  
Natasha had gotten out of the quinjet and smiled at the reunion.

* * *

Steve hugged his friend tightly and pulled back, holding his shoulders. "Lemme get a good look at you," he said. "How have you been? The new arm doing you good?"  


  
Before Bucky got a chance to answer, Steve was pulling him in for another hug. "God, I was so worried when I saw you disappear, never thought I'd see you again. Can't believe you're back- you missed a lot, buddy."

* * *

“I can’t believe I’m back, either. What happened, Steve?” Bucky asked as he returned the hug, though he pulled back when he asked the question.

  
“One minute I was in an empty hell, the next, I was here...” he elaborated briefly.

* * *

Steve waved Natasha over, needing a bit of support to tell the tale. "Well, after we lost to Thanos, when you... you know. Things looked pretty bleak. Half the world's population, gone in an instant. I didn't think we'd recover, and for a bit there, it looked almost like we wouldn't. "  


  
"But somehow, Tony Stark brought that wizard, Strange, back from the dead." He smiled almost fondly. "I don't know how he did it, and honestly I don't think he does either, but we brought one person back. That was the catalyst, and Tony and Strange got the idea to make another gauntlet to take back the stones."    
  
He frowned. "Though they went with a tiara instead, for some reason. Still don't understand that decision. Must've been a Tony thing."

* * *

“It does sound like a Tony thing,” Bucky added. He was still unsure of how to talk about the man since they found out the true fate of the Stark parents.

  
“Where is Tony? Can you tell him thank you, from me?” he continued. “And Strange, as well.”

* * *

And this was where Steve needed help. "Yeah, about that..." 

  
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "The other reason we're here. Tony did something stupid when he tried wielding the stones against Thanos, and it did something bad to his head. He's been in a coma for about a day now, and apparently his body's starting to give out on him."    
  
He sighed, shoulders curving inwards a little. He tried not to let how worried he was show, but it was hard. "Stephen's trying something here, he made a portal some time ago. He's supposed to be working with Shuri, though we haven't gotten any updates on how that's going."    
  
"I'm real worried, Buck," he admitted. "I don't know if he'll make it."

* * *

Bucky looked concerned. He placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder.

  
“Why don’t we head to the palace and check how things are going? It might help you have some peace of mind,” he suggested.

* * *

Smiling gratefully, Steve placed his hand over Bucky's. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Bucky smiled and began to walk. “I’ve got a sort of four-wheeler we can use to get into the city faster,” he explained as he walked.

  
Natasha followed the two, having not found a reason to enter the conversation yet.

* * *

"Good," Steve replied. "The faster the better. It's been awhile since we last heard from Strange, and though Tony, Pepper, Bruce, basically everyone seems to trust him, I'm not so sure." 

  
He stared at his hands as they walked, lips pulled down in a frustrated frown. "I just don't get what Tony sees in the guy. He shows up out of nowhere, they barely know each other, and weeks later they're closer than he and I ever were. It just feels... wrong."    
  
Steve didn't want to admit the real reason it felt wrong, to even himself. He lost that chance years ago, when he and Tony stopped seeing eye to eye on important matters, like the fate of the Avengers.

* * *

Bucky didn’t want to point out the obvious jealousy, or the obvious fact that it seemed like Steve had lost his chance when the Avengers broke up.

  
“I suppose nearly dying together could do that,” he said casually, and he knew that Steve had been in that situation with Tony before, when things were better. “Maybe if we go check on what’s going on, you can help. The best I think you could do for Tony is be there for him right now.”   
  
“I know it’s hard, Steve. But keep in mind that Tony probably feels like he doesn’t know you - or me, for that matter - any more. It’s been years,” Natasha added. During her time in the Avengers with Steve and Tony and her time on the run with Steve, she had picked up on the Captain’s feelings.   
  
Bucky got on the four-wheeler. There were a couple other ones, and Natasha got on one.

* * *

Steve hesitated before getting on the third vehicle. "I don't think I know him anymore either," he realized. He'd been trying to hold onto this image of Tony from before war, before the divide between them and the team. Back when it was just the six of them, the original Avengers, and the biggest problem they had to worry about was moving into the newly-renovated Avengers Tower. 

  
That time was long since past, but Steve found himself desperately wishing he had the Time Stone, so he never had to let it go.    
  
"I guess that means we'll have to get to know each other again," he said, getting on the four-wheeler and revving the engine. "Start with a blank slate. Might be good for both of us."

* * *

“It will be good for you,” Bucky responded before they were off. Neither Natasha nor Bucky attempted to speak until they reached the palace.

  
“Let’s check Shuri’s lab,” Bucky suggested as he climbed off the vehicle, and he walked in. The guards knew him, so he wasn’t concerned about being stopped.   
  
“Have you heard from T’Challa?” Natasha asked Bucky, but got a head shake in return.

* * *

Steve followed Bucky, sparing an appreciative glance at the intricate architecture of the palace. He'd seen it before, when they were planning before the initial attack from Thanos, but he hadn't really had a chance to admire the view then. Didn't have one now, but he did try. 

  
He followed them wordlessly into the lab, where Shuri was working. His eyes landed on Stephen, who was sitting motionless in a chair that seemed to be made of black sand. His eyes were closed, but they seemed to be darting around rapidly underneath his eyelids.    
  
"What's the news?" he asked, striding forward.

* * *

Shuri glanced at Steve and smiled. “Hello, Captain. Currently, Strange is in the soul stone to retrieve Tony Stark’s soul and return him to the land of the living. My brother is keeping the way open, and I am making sure neither of them die.”

  
Bucky walked over and examined Stephen and T’Challa. “So how long have they been like this?”   
  
“A day,” Shuri responded. “Everything seems to be going well, though. I called the Avengers base and Tony’s body is apparently slowly becoming stronger.”   
  
Natasha joined Shuri at the computer to look at the little pedestal housing the soul stone. She thought about how that little stone held so much power.

* * *

T'Challa blinked his eyes open, head falling to the side as he looked around. "Captain, Miss Widow, hello," he said, words slurring together. It was hard focusing on them. He felt like he was floating, struggling against an invisible wave trying to pull him back under. It's wasn't unpleasant, but it was irritating as he was trying to talk with his friends. 

  
Steve nodded, acknowledging the not fully present king. He turned back to Shuri and asked "Do you know how much longer it should be?"

* * *

“Depends how long it will take for Strange to pull Tony out. Could be just a few more hours. It could be another week,” Shuri explained.

  
Bucky smiled at T’Challa, and Natasha gave a slight wave. “How do you think it’s going in there, T’Challa?” she asked the king.

* * *

The king grinned, taking a moment to form the words in his mouth before saying them. "It is going well," he said. "I cannot see what goes on, but the light is getting brighter and I feel Stark's life force growing stronger." 

  
Steve frowned. "Are we sure this will work? Nothing against you, Shuri, it's Strange I'm hesitant about. We don't know him that well, and he seems determined to keep it that way. How do we know he doesn't have something planned?"

* * *

“He clearly loves Tony, and if Stark’s growing strength is anything to go by, there is trust as well,” Shuri pointed out. “Something was clearly holding Tony’s soul in the stone and weakening him.”  


  
Bucky patted Steve’s shoulder sympathetically, and he looked at T’Challa. He tried not to laugh at how much it seemed like the king was high.

* * *

Steve felt something shift uncomfortably in his chest, though he tried to ignore it. He cruised his arms and looked away. 

  
T'Challa felt the wave pulling him under again and mumbled "Oh, here we go. Goodnight." His eyes slipped closed and his head fell forward.

* * *

“That’s unsettling,” Bucky muttered as that happened.

  
“Is there any way we can help?” Natasha asked, turning to look at Shuri with her arms crossed.   
  
“The best you can do is get back to the compound and make sure Tony’s body is healthy for him to return to, and be there when he wakes. I can imagine it can feel disorienting, waking up from what probably felt like years for him,” Shuri explained.

* * *

Steve perked up at that. "Good idea," he said. "He's gonna want to see some familiar faces when he wakes up, best have everyone there." 

  
He pat Bucky's shoulder again before pulling him into a hug. "Good seeing you again, glad you're okay. You should come by and see Tony once he's up and about, and I'm sure Bruce and the others would love to see you again."

* * *

“Alright,” Bucky responded, though he seemed unsure of Steve’s suggestion. “Go make sure everything’s okay. I’m gonna stay here in the lab and help make sure everything is okay on this end.”

  
Natasha raised her eyebrows, having not expected to be leaving so soon. “Um... let me call the quinjet.”

* * *

"Sorry to be leaving you so soon, your highness," Steve said, ducking his head. "but time is of the essence. Thank you for your hospitality, and thank you for agreeing to help us. Tony means a lot to m- _us,_ and we couldn't bear it if we lost the greatest mind on our team." 

  
Steve steadfastly ignored how his heart raced at the prospect of seeing his friend again, alive and well. He decided it was for the good of the team, and for the good of their friendship. He also didn't let himself feel too smug thinking about the fact that with Strange here, Steve knew _he_  would be the first Tony saw when he woke up.

* * *

“Please, Captain, call me Shuri,” Shuri responded. “Good luck, and safe travels.”

  
Natasha gestured for Steve to follow her as she walked out. Once they got outside, the quinjet was waiting, and Natasha climbed aboard.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah... adding that stonystrange tag now
> 
> also EDIT i went back to chapter 5 and added art of the infinity tiara i made, so go back and looky!!

At some point, Stephen and Tony had migrated to kneeling on the ground, still wrapped around one another. The grasses that had been winding around Tony's feet had mostly disappeared, but the light breeze that had been drifting across the meadow had picked up a bit.    
  
Stephen's face was buried in Tony's hair, concentrating on the love he felt and trying to pull the both of them out of the stone. He felt something tugging on him, but every time he tried to follow it, he couldn't keep his hold on Tony, so he let go and stayed, trying again and again.    
  
It was frustrating work, and the longer it went on without working, the more anxious Stephen became.    
  
"Why won't it let you go?" he murmured, referring to the stone. "I don't know what's wrong."

* * *

“It feels sort of like when you wake up from a dream, but somehow, you’re still dreaming,” Tony mumbled in response.

  
“Maybe... maybe I need a little more convincing? Or maybe it’s something happening in the physical world.” He started saying whatever idea popped into his head.

* * *

Stephen didn't know if that would work or not, but he needed to try every possibility. He didn't know how much time they had left. 

  
He pulled back, cupping Tony's face in his hands. "You are one of the bravest, smartest, most compassionate people I know," he started, before pressing a kiss to Tony's forehead. "We all make mistakes, but that doesn't mean we are irredeemable. That applies to you as well."    
  
He kissed Tony's cheeks, one at a time, in between words. "You have changed so many lives, in so many ways, and the world would mourn you to the ends of time itself if it lost you."    
  
Kissing his nose, he added "No more so than I."    
  
Stephen ran a hand through the man's hair, caressing his scalp as he looked into his eyes. He smiled sadly, pushing every ounce of sincerity into his words. "Anthony Edward Stark, you mean the universe and more to me, and I don't know what I would do without you. I love you more than I love myself, more than I love the Sanctum and my cloak, more than I love anything I could name. You have to hold on, for the both of us, and come home to me."    
  
He kissed him on the lips, finally, deeply, and pulled back only long enough to whisper "Please."

* * *

Tony grinned happily at the words, feeling his body become lighter in a literal and figurative sense.

  
“You’re quite the charmer, you know. I love you, too, Stephen,” he said before he kissed him gently. After a minute, he pulled back enough to say, “Let’s try again.” The orange light got just a bit brighter, but it flickered. This time, Tony knew it was in the way they wanted.

* * *

Stephen grinned brightly, feeling it too. "Tony Stark," he said, pulling them to their feet and clasping his shoulders. "Without you, the Avengers would have fallen long ago. Without them, they might not have lasted long at all, as a team."

  
"You are smart, yes," he added, feeling his magic swirling around them, the breeze picking up. "But you are more than your brain, Tony. You are the _heart_  of the team, and without you, they would have never stayed together. You are the glue that binds us all, and yes, you have problems sometimes, but we all do. There are bound to be problems. But without them, we cannot grow stronger."   
  
"Without you, we cannot _thrive."_   
  
He dragged Tony into a kiss, feeling his magic surge like a wave crashing against the shoreline as the wind blasted them and the world went white.

* * *

 

**** Tony laughed into the kiss before suddenly he was sitting up in a hospital bed, breathing quick and startled. He looked around to see an incredibly startled Peter Parker, his aunt May, Steve, and Natasha.   
  
There was a long pause before he said, “Hey guys.” He didn’t exactly have any time to react before his arms were filled with an ecstatic teenage Peter.   
  
“Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! You’re awake!” he was shouting, frantically hugging Tony. Peter was so relieved to see the genius awake, it had been a day or two since Steve had returned.

* * *

Steve jumped at the sudden movement from his recently-comatose friend, eyes wide. He shot to his feet too, a smile slowly taking over his face. 

  
"Tony!" he cried. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, realizing he might want to wait until his reunion with the kid was done first.    
  
"I'm, uh, glad to see you're okay," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He approached the bed awkwardly, reaching out and hesitating before clasping a hand on the man's shoulder. He wanted nothing more than to pull him in for a hug as well, but he refrained.    
  
May had a hand over her chest, a watery grin on her face as she watched the touching scene. She'd worried for Tony too, but the most important part of his waking up to her, was the look on her nephew's face. His sullen expression cleared like a rainstorm on a sunny day, the moment Tony opened his eyes. It was heartwarming, and May felt herself warming up to the man; after all, with a bond like that between the two of them, could he really be all that bad?    
  
-   
  
Stephen gasped, eyes shooting open. The black sand that had been swirling around his face collapsed, drifting down into a dusting on his clothes.    
  
"Did it work?" he asked immediately. "Is Tony safe? Is he awake?"    
  
T'Challa took longer in waking up, blinking blearily as he adjusted to his surroundings. He did catch the tail end of Stephen's sentence, and responded "I do not know. Shuri, are we done?"

* * *

Tony returned Peter’s hug. “Kid, I’m happier to know you’re okay,” he responded. He let go to pull back to smile at Peter.

  
“I’m real glad to be here, Mr. Stark,” Peter said before he got off the bed to allow for Steve to reunite with Tony. He walked back to May with a huge grin on his face.   
  
“Hey, Steve,” Tony said awkwardly, still unsure of how to act around the Captain.   
  
Natasha waved from the corner, glad to see Tony awake, and the genius returned the small wave.   
  
-   
  
“From what I can tell, Tony is awake now,” Shuri responded, looking at the screen. She had connected to Tony’s vitals at some point. She turned to smile at Stephen.   
  
Bucky, who was sitting elsewhere in the room, had stood to walk to T’Challa and help him up.

* * *

Steve watched Tony for all of a moment before he gave in, emotions and stress and worry for who was once one of his closest friends getting to him. He pulled Tony into a tight hug. "You don't know how glad I am you're okay," he said, words muffled into the man's shoulder. Steve felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as the weight of what they'd been through hit him all at once, but he forced them down. 

  
-  
  
T'Challa gratefully took Bucky's hand, levering himself to his feet. He wobbled unsteadily for a moment, but righted himself and flashed the man a smile.   
  
Pulling him into a brief side hug, he turned his attention to the sorcerer and his sister. "Congratulations to the two of you," he said. "You have done the impossible. I am impressed."   
  
Stephen was already on his feet, dashing over to the screen in front of Shuri. His eyes scanned the information and he felt a metaphorical weight fall off his shoulders. "He's alive," he breathed, falling to his knees at the table. "He's okay."   
  
He looked at Shuri. "Thank you, so much. You don't know how much this means to me, and if there is any way I can repay you, _anything,_ please don't hesitate to tell me and I will do everything in my considerable power to make it come true."

* * *

Tony was shocked for a moment. This man, who he had wronged so many times, was hugging him, was happy he was okay. He tentatively wrapped his arms around Steve in response, as if waiting for the supersoldier to realize his mistake, who he was talking to.

  
It was only a moment before he was returning the hug just as tightly. Steve still cared.   
  
-   
  
“I’ll let you know if I need anything. Go see him,” Shuri responded, patting Stephen on the shoulder. It was clear that she wasn’t actually ever going to make Stephen repay the favor.   
  
Bucky grinned at T’Challa, but then glanced at Stephen, unsure. He wanted to go with him, but... given the revelations of his last run-in with Tony, he didn’t want to intrude.

* * *

Stephen stood and raised his hand, about to make a portal, when he noticed the other man standing arm in arm with the king of Wakanda. "Er... hello?" he said, unsure. "I'm not sure we've met properly." 

  
His eyes landed on the metal arm. "James, I presume?"    
  
T'Challa's eyes crinkled in amusement, though he stayed quiet. This was sure to be entertaining.    
  
-   
  
Steve pulled back and sniffed, discreetly wiping away the tears that had started to fall as he cleared his throat again. "God, Tony, I've- we've all been so worried, we didn't know if you were gonna make it. We were scared there, for a bit." He crossed his arms almost self-consciously, tilting his body towards Tony as he spoke. "Don't know what we'd do without you, bossing us around and showing off your fancy tech," he added, trying to cover the sincerity in his voice and probably failing, but he didn't care anymore.

* * *

“Uh... call me Bucky, my parents only ever called me James,” Bucky responded awkwardly. He didn’t add that Hydra people would call him James.

  
“Hey, can I head back with you? I told Steve I’d visit and... yeah, that’s about it,” he continued.   
  
Shuri tried not to laugh at how the metal-armed soldier looked about as awkward as someone in front of a celebrity.   
  
-   
  
“Hey, Cap, the bossing around is your job,” Tony joked, giving a dazzling grin. He was glad to have his friend back.   
  
Peter had gone over to Natasha and was whispering to her about something, seeming excited and generally happy. He was much better now that Tony was awake.

* * *

"You've obviously never met yourself," Steve shot back, cheeks hurting with how hard he was smiling. He put a hand on Tony's shoulder, barely resisting the urge to hug him again. He'd missed their easy banter, the way they could always fire lines back and forth and know what was coming next before the other would say it. It was like slipping on a pair of old shoes; comfortable, soft, dependable. He'd missed Tony so much these past few years, he just hadn't realized it until now. 

  
-   
  
Stephen watched him a moment before shrugging. "As you wish." He circled his hand in the air, a sparking portal opening into the hospital room he remembered was Tony's.    
  
He stepped through, leaving it open for Bucky. His mouth was open, Tony's name on his lips, as he walked in on a scene:    
  
Natasha and Peter whispering conspiratorially in the corner. May's eyes flicking between her nephew and the bed, happy as can be.    
  
And Tony and Steve, twin looks of adoration on their faces. Steve's hand on Tony's shoulder. Them turned into one another, in a way that suggested easy comfort in the other's presence.    
  
Stephen stopped in his tracks, hands folding behind his back. Levi fluttered nervously on his shoulders, but he ignored the cloak. "Hello," he said coldly, eyes pinned to the hand resting too casually on his partner's shoulder. "Lovely seeing you again, Captain. Mind if I cut in on this touching reunion? I have one of my own I'd like to make."    
  
Without another word, he pushed past Steve and bent over Tony, capturing his lips in a kiss to send his head spinning.

* * *

Bucky stepped through just before the portal closed and sidled over to be close to the door, feeling the tension in the air.  


  
Tony wasn’t expecting the kiss but he didn’t mind. He smiled into it and gently grasped Stephen’s arms.   
  
Natasha glanced at May, then at Peter, and within a second had her hands over the boy’s eyes, much to his chagrin.   
  
“Hey! I’m not that young, Ms. Widow!” he protested, but the hands didn’t move.

* * *

Steve fell back when pushed, shocked. His mouth fell open only to snap shut again, and he crossed his arms to patiently wait for them to finish. He felt something simmering in him, anger and irritation and something else, probably more anger at having been pushed aside so rudely. He tapped his foot impatiently. 

  
Stephen spent an inordinate amount of time leisurely kissing Tony, cupping his face and tilting his head just so, slow, languorous strokes of his tongue and pulling away with a gentle nibble to Tony's bottom lip. He smiled, eyes hooded. "Hello, dear."

* * *

“Hey,” was all Tony could respond with, the kiss having taken his breath away. He smiled up at Stephen, giddy from how real it all felt. In the soul stone, everything had felt like a dream he couldn’t wake up from.

  
Bucky saw how tense Steve was getting and wanted to walk over and calm him down, but he didn’t want to risk being seen by Tony yet.

* * *

Stephen lovingly carded his fingers through Tony's hair before he decided to acknowledge the hole that was being burned through the back of his head. 

  
He straightened up, dopey expression falling off his face and turning into one of passive boredom, a dusting of spite. "Thank you captain, but your work here is done. Tony and I have some catching up to do, so if you don't mind..." He waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the door, and though he seemed to be asking for privacy, he neglected to extend it to the rest of the people in the room. He was a little irritated at how close Steve and Tony had been, and he ignored the fact that he _might_  be acting a little possessive.    
  
Steve sputtered a bit, before setting his jaw. "Fine. Whatever. But first, I'm not leaving until Stark and Bucky talk things through about what happened. That takes priority to your little makeout session, I'm sorry to say." He absolutely wasn't sorry, but the sorcerer was starting to piss him off. And they'd worked so well together before, what a shame.

* * *

Tony looked between the two, wondering why there was so much hostility. He thought maybe he missed something, since he can be incredibly dumb for a genius at times.

  
His eyes then landed on Bucky, who waved awkwardly from the doorway. Tony froze momentarily and tensed, the flashbacks from his fight with Bucky going through his head. He cleared his throat and looked at Bucky’s metal arm.   
  
“Hey... you got a new... arm...” he said slowly, awkwardly. He let go of Stephen to grasp uncomfortably at his own arms.   
  
“Hey, look, I know last time we spoke... was bad... but I want you to know I am sorry for the way things turned out,” Bucky muttered just loud enough for Tony to hear.   
  
The genius nodded and stared off into space as he tried to think of how to respond.

* * *

Stephen watched this with a hand on Tony's shoulder, squeezing in a comforting manner as he felt the man tense up. 

  
Steve glanced at Stephen out of the corner of his eye before turning back to Tony. "Tony, you and I both know that Bucky wasn't in his right mind when all that was going down. Hydra had done some bad stuff to him. He regrets what he did, but now that Shuri fixed his head up, we were both hoping you two could repair things. Wipe the slate, as it were."    
  
He put a hand on Bucky's non-metal shoulder, looking at his friend before continuing. "He's a good man, Tony; you both are. I feel like you two would get along. Build these bridges, feel the past and don't forget it, but don't let it consume you and keep you from a great future."

* * *

Tony took a deep breath and sighed out his tension. “You’re right, Steve. Bucky, I wasn’t thinking quite rationally, and I did... tear off your previous arm, as it were.”

  
Bucky nodded. He didn’t feel the need to mention that he felt he was better off with one less reminder of the Winter Soldier, since the old arm was made by Hydra.   
  
“I think, given some time, we can be friends. I kind of would need to get to know you as a person first, anyway,” Tony continued, a wry smile on his lips as he tried to lighten the mood with a bit of humor.

* * *

Steve smiled, watching two of his closest friends slowly come to an understanding. It felt good. 

  
He'd almost forgotten about the sorcerer, until he stepped forward and spoke up again.    
  
"Yes, yes, touching really, I feel my heart growing three sizes listening to you," he said, waving the hand not currently on Tony's shoulder. "But we really should be going. I'm sure the hospital staff will be happy to see us go, finally able to use this room again and all that. Tony and I have some very important business to attend to, as I'm sure you all do as well."    
  
He knew he was being curt, but the longer he spent not touching Tony and reassuring himself that the man was real and back and alive, the more itchy his skin became. He needed to feel Tony, needed to know his efforts weren't in vain, and the captain and his small talk were getting in the way of that.

* * *

Tony smiled at Steve and placed a hand on Stephen’s forearm. “Yeah. I should vacate the room as quickly as possible.”  


  
Peter walked to May. “Hey, you wanna head home soon? It’s not fair that I’ve kept you here so long...”   
  
Natasha stood and walked to stand beside Bucky, and she lightly punched him in the shoulder to congratulate him on erasing another demon made by the Soldier.

* * *

May watched the tension between the three men mounting and decided that leaving was, in fact, the best option. "Of course honey! And it's no problem, I'm just glad they're okay. Let's... go get some food, or something." 

  
She led Peter out the door with a hand on his shoulder, throwing one last look behind her as they left.    
  
Steve glared at the sorcerer's easy dismissal. He hated how easily the two of them interacted, and how Tony didn't seem to care that Strange was commandeering his time like that when they all had a right to be relieved he was back. He wanted to push the man out of the way, smack his hand off Tony's shoulder, send his new shield through his neck or something else equally as violent.    
  
But the rational part of his brain eventually won out, realizing that that's not what a good guy would do, nor a good friend.    
  
He huffed. "Well, good to see you're still breathing, Stark," he said, before turning on his heel and stalking out the door.    
  
"Bucky, Nat," he called behind him. "Up for some food? I'm starving after all that." If he acted like it didn't bother him, then it wouldn't give the sorcerer the pleasure of seeing him angry. He could do this. "Do you think Domino's delivers here?"

* * *

“What’s a Domino’s...?” Bucky whispered to Natasha as they exited, drawing a chuckle from the assassin.


End file.
